Advisory vs. McDonald's restaurant on Taft Avenue near corner Pedro Gil St., Manila. On April 20, 2010, I went to said restaurant. The security guard at the entrance
to said restaurant didn't inspect my luggage, which was large enough to contain deadly weapons. There was a live moving insect fly in the dining area of said
restaurant. The employees didn't have the required health certificates attached at the proper places in the clothing they were wearing. There was no visible express
lane for senior citizens. The official receipt issued to me was numbered 02150120032207

web site with useful information:
International Play Association
http://www.ipacanada.org/home_childs.htm

Asthma and COPD Inhalers That Contain Ozone-depleting CFCs to be Phased Out; Alternative Treatments Available
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm208302.htm
FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Apr. 13, 2010
Media Inquiries: Erica Jefferson, 301-796-4988, erica.jefferson@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

Asthma and COPD Inhalers That Contain Ozone-depleting CFCs to be Phased Out; Alternative Treatments Available

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced, in accordance with longstanding U.S. obligations under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, seven metered-dose inhalers (MDI) used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be gradually removed from the U.S. marketplace. These inhalers contain ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are propellants that move medication out of the inhaler and into the lungs of patients. Alternative medications that do not contain CFCs are available.

The affected products and their phase out schedule include:


Inhaler Medication Last Date to be manufactured, sold or dispensed in U.S. Manufacturer

Tilade Inhaler (nedocromil)


June 14, 2010


King Pharmaceuticals

Alupent Inhalation Aerosol (metaproterenol)


June 14, 2010


Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

Azmacort Inhalation Aerosol (triamcinolone)


Dec. 31, 2010


Abbott Laboratories

Intal Inhaler (cromolyn)


Dec. 31, 2010


King Pharmaceuticals

Aerobid Inhaler System (flunisolide)


June 30, 2011


Forest Laboratories

Combivent Inhalation Aerosol (albuterol and ipratropium in combination)


Dec. 31, 2013


Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

Maxair Autohaler (pirbuterol)


Dec. 31, 2013
Graceway Pharmaceuticals

Patients using the inhalers scheduled to be phased out should talk to their health care professional about switching to one of several alternative treatments currently available. Until then, patients should continue using their current inhaler medication.

CFCs are harmful because they deplete the ozone layer miles above the Earth that absorb some of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The United States has banned the general use of CFCs in consumer aerosols for decades, and eliminated the production of CFCs in the United States as of Jan. 1, 1996, except for certain limited uses, such as MDIs.

“During this transition, FDA wants to ensure that patients have access to safe and effective alternative medications to treat their asthma or COPD,” said Badrul Chowdhury, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Rheumatology Products in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “We are currently working with professional societies and patient organizations to make sure patients understand which products will no longer be available and have information on which alternative medication might work best for them.”

The CFC phase out is part of an international agreement to ban substances that deplete the Earth’s ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the U.S. Clean Air Act aim to protect the public health and the environment from the potentially negative effects of ozone depletion. Bans on products containing CFCs began in the late 1970s.

The decision to phase out the products is the latest in a series of decisions related to the removal of CFC inhaler products from the market as required by the Clean Air Act. The agency proposed to phase-out the seven remaining products in 2007 and reached a final decision after reviewing more than 4,000 public comments and information submitted as part of a public meeting.




Talk to Teens about Healthy Relationships
http://www.cdc.gov/features/ChooseRespect/
Healthy relationships are about trust, honesty, and compromise. Sounds simple enough, but sometimes kids don't see relationships in such black-and-white terms. Between "I just called to say hi," and "Why aren't you texting me back?" lie many shades of gray that adults can help kids and teens understand.



Healthy relationships are about trust, honesty, and compromise. Sounds simple enough, but sometimes kids don't see relationships in such black-and-white terms. Between "I just called to say hi," and "Why aren't you texting me back?" lie many shades of gray that adults can help kids and teens understand.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Week is marked the first week of February. For information on talking to your child about dating abuse, visit Choose RespectExternal Web Site Icon.

Being an adolescent can be tough. Adolescence is a time when kids and teens learn how to make decisions about relationships with their friends, family, and girlfriends or boyfriends. What they learn now, about how to treat others, will affect relationships throughout their lifetime. But kids and teens can't do this by themselves. They need adults — parents, teachers, coaches, and others — to help them understand and choose healthy respectful, relationships.

Did you know that one in 11 teens report being hit or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend at least once in the past 12 months? Even something like putting someone down or trying to change how they dress can be a sign of an unhealthy relationship. That's why adults, especially parents, need to talk to kids and teens now about the importance of developing healthy, respectful relationships.

Unfortunately, when healthy relationship skills aren't formed, some young people find themselves in abusive relationships that are marked by frustration, anger, low self-esteem, and even physical injury. And it's more than just physical harm. Kids who report being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year are more likely to report unhealthy behaviors like binge drinking, suicide attempts, and physical fighting.
Photo: Three teenage studentsWhat Makes a Relationship Healthy?

People in healthy relationships respect each other. They can talk honestly and freely to each other and share decisions. They trust and support each other and respect each other's independence. In contrast, an unhealthy relationship is unbalanced. One person may try to control another or manipulate another to get his or her way; use verbal insults, mean language, or nasty putdowns; and even resort to physical violence.
What Do We Mean When We Talk about "Dating Violence"?
Photo: Four smiling students

Dating violence isn't an argument every once in a while, or a bad mood after a bad day. Dating violence is a pattern of controlling behavior that someone uses against a girlfriend or boyfriend.

Dating violence can cause injury and even death, but it doesn't have to be physical. It can include verbal and emotional abuse - constant insults, isolation from family and friends, intimidation or threats, name calling, controlling what someone wears - and it can also include sexual violence.
When Should Adults Talk to Kids and Teens about Healthy Relationships?

The best time to talk about unhealthy relationships is before they start. Because between "I just called to say hi," and "Why aren't you texting me back right away?" lie many shades of gray that kids and teens need help to understand.

But how and when do you talk about healthy relationships? Experts say the earlier, the better. Helping kids and teens develop healthy relationship skills early can help them interact positively with others as they grow. Here are some skills that you can work on with kids and teens to help them develop and maintain healthy relationships:

wait 2 secs to reload the imageRespect: showing consideration for the feelings and well being of the other person.

Anger Management: dealing with anger in positive, non-violent ways.

Problem Solving: knowing how to break problems down, find possible solutions, and consider the likely outcomes for each solution.

Negotiation and Compromise: turning problems into "win-win" situations in which each partner gets some of what he or she wants.

Assertiveness — Not Aggression: asking for what one wants clearly and respectfully, without threats, intimidation, or physical force. Assertive communication means respecting the rights of others, as well as your own rights.

More Information

* Choose RespectExternal Web Site Icon
* CDC TV Feature: Break the Silence: Stop the Violence [VIDEO - 4:12 minutes]
* Intimate Partner Violence
* Dating Violence Fact Sheet
* Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students, United States, 2003 (MMWR)
* Adverse Health Conditions and Health Risk Behaviors Associated with Intimate Partner Violence, United States, 2005 (MMWR)
* When Closeness Goes Wrong [VIDEO - 8:22 minutes]



U.S. FDA New and Generic Drug Approvals

April 15, 2010

* Calan (verapamil hydrochloride) Tablets, Pfizer, Incorporated, Labeling Revision
* Calan (verapamil hydrochloride) Injection, Pfizer, Incorporated, Labeling Revision
* Calan (verapamil hydrochloride) Injection, Pfizer, Incorporated, Labeling Revision
* Covera HS (verapamil hydrochloride) Extended-Release Tablets, Pfizer, Incorporated, Labeling Revision
* Doral (quazepam) Tablets, Questcor Pharma., Inc., Labeling Revision
* Hydromorphone Hydrochloride Injection, Akorn, Inc., Approval
* Lidoderm (lidocaine) Patch, Teikoku Pharma USA, Inc., Labeling Revision
* Oraqix (lidocaine and prilocaine) Periodontal Gel, Dentsply Pharmaceutical, Inc., Labeling Revision
* Ortho Evra (norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol) Patch, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Research, Labeling Revision
* Pancreaze (pancrelipase) Delayed-Release Capsules, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Approval

April 14, 2010

* Anthelios 40 (ecamsule, avobenzone, octocrylene, and titanium dioxide) Cream, L’Oreal Products, Inc., Labeling Revision
* Delsym (dextromethorphan polistirex) Extended-Release Oral Suspension, Reckitt Benckiser Inc., Labeling Revision
* Didanosine Delayed-Release Capsules, Matrix Laboratories Limited, Approval
* Donepezil Hydrochloride Orally Disintegrating Tablets, Barr Laboratories, Inc., Tentative Approval
* Granisetron Hydrochloride Injection, Sagent Strides, Approval
* Pramipexole Dihydrochloride Tablets, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Approval
* Uroxatral (alfuzosin hydrochloride) Extended-Release Tablets, sanofi-aventis U.S., LLC, Labeling Revision
* Venlafaxine Hydrochloride Tablets, Auroblndo Pharma Limited, Approval
* Yasmin (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Labeling Revision
* Yaz (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Labeling Revision
* Zocor (simvastatin) Tablets, Merck & Co., Inc., Labeling Revision



U.S. standards on beef are lax, inspector general says
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/04/14/us.beef.testing/index.html

From Dugald McConnell, CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Official: Federal agencies fail to set limits on potentially harmful chemical residues
* In U.S., there are no set limits for some heavy metals, like copper, in beef
* Study focused on contamination by chemical residues, rather than bacteria

RELATED TOPICS

* U.S. Department of Agriculture
* National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. government is not fully guarding against the contamination of meat by traces of antibiotics, pesticides or heavy metals, a new report warns.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's inspector general said federal agencies have failed to set limits on many potentially harmful chemical residues, which "has resulted in meat with these substances being distributed in commerce."

When it comes to pesticide traces, only one type is tested for, according to the report. There are also no set limits for some heavy metals, like copper.

In 2008, Mexican authorities turned away an American shipment of beef, because it did not meet Mexico's limits when tested for copper traces. But the very same rejected meat could be sold in the United States, since no limit has been set, the analysis says.

That example shows "the government has fallen down on the job here," said Tony Corbo of the consumer advocacy group Food and Water Watch.

"Some of the residues that the inspector general cited could be carcinogenic, as they accumulate over a period of time in the body," he said.

The study focused on contamination by chemical residues, rather than bacteria. While bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella can cause an illness that is acute but brief, chemical residues are more like to build up over time, and no amount of cooking will destroy them.

The USDA pledged to "swiftly implement the corrective actions" recommended by the inspector, which including testing for more kinds of residue and setting limits on how much of each substance is allowable. A department spokesman pointed out that this kind of fix, which is expected to require coordination with the FDA and the EPA, was one of the main reasons President Obama created a Food Safety Working Group last year.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association said in a statement, "We fully support the critical role of the federal government in ensuring beef safety."

"While the U.S. beef supply is extraordinarily safe by any nation's standards," it added, "the beef industry is constantly looking for ways to improve the systems that ensure the safest product possible for our consumers."

The study, first reported by USA Today, also says that when cattle test positive for residue, it is difficult to track back where it came from because it often passes through several buyers and sellers.

The American Meat Institute said that problem "underscores the need to implement comprehensive livestock traceback procedures," with a national animal identification system.

CNN's Brian Todd contributed to this report.


Links referenced within this article

U.S. Department of Agriculture
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/U_S_Department_of_Agriculture
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/National_Cattlemen_s_Beef_Association
U.S. Department of Agriculture's
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/u_s_department_of_agriculture
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/national_cattlemen_s_beef_association


Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/04/14/us.beef.testing/index.html