Tylenol Recall

Children’s medicine, such as Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl are being recalled. In the beginning, on April 30, the Tylenol recall press release stated that “This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredients than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles.” Tylenol earned points for starting this voluntary recall but some half truths were found.
In a recent article I noticed that the company was recalling the medicine because the “said products fail to meet the desired quality standards of the company”. This seems to me, as if the products were not up to code, such as inactive ingredients. However, when reading through an article by Ryan Christopher DeVault, he stated: “the company should have been required to divulge that the products they had sold to the consumer could have contained bacteria in them”.
The bacterium found in the products is called Burkholderia cepacia, which is a bacterium often resistant to common antibiotics. This group of bacteria can be found in soil and water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC states “B. cepacia poses little medical risk to healthy people…weakened immune systems…may be more susceptible to infections with B. cepacia”.
Some good news is that the “recalled products may be returned for a refund or exchanged for a fresh product once the manufacturing issues have been resolved”. Also, this same article by Daniel J. DeNoon says that “parents should not give children adult formulation of the medications. Alternative brands of the products are available”. The number of units being recalled is said to be huge. This is understandable because it is not only affecting the United States but also other places such as Canada, Puerto Rico, Kuwait and Fiji to name a few.
Having news coverage on this sort of topic is essential. Many young children are taking medicine everyday and if the caregivers do not know the risks, it could end badly. I think that the media is doing a great job at keeping people informed, although knowing the whole truth would be beneficial. If there are bacteria in the medicine, the consumers have a right to know. I do not think that the companies should be trying to cover it up by doing a voluntary recall and saying that it is because of “active or inactive ingredients”. They should fess up and say that there may be bacteria and tiny particles in the medicine. It is understandable however, that the company is trying to keep their businesses running.

Volcano Devestation

As many of us have already heard/seen, a volcano erupting in Iceland has caused major problems. One of those problems is with the airlines. For a few days there were no flights taking off or arriving in Iceland because of the ash cloud covering Europe. The worst seems to be over since the volcanic activity is weakening. However there is still a lot of ash falling down and people are being told to wear masks for protection.

About 100,000 flights were canceled because of this eruption and the airlines are predicting over $2.2 billion in loss. Iceland and small part of Scotland had their airports closed. Along with this, thousands of European flights were canceled during the past week.
A major concern about this eruption is that it might lead to another. Katla is Eyjafjallajokull’s neighbor and is much more powerful and bigger. Katla is overdue for an eruption and according to some geophysicists; this past eruption could be the trigger. History about these two volcanoes tells us that after Eyjafjallajokull erupts, Katla will follow.

Livestock are also being affected by this ordeal. Around 20 farms closest to the volcano had to relocate, only being allowed back to their farms for essential farm work. Along with this, farmers are told to keep their animals inside. Ash that is falling on the ground can be fatal for animals if they eat the grass it is covering. Some animals could be put at risk for contracting fluorosis, which is a fatal bone disease. Drinking water is also being watched by the farmers in case it starts to spoil. One good thing is that at this time in Iceland most of the animals are inside. However, as temperatures start to warm up the farmers are going to want their animals outside.
Traffic has been affected because of floodwater. Some roads have been breached to channel the water and in some places it is difficult to drive because of low visibility. Flooding is a major danger caused by eruptions but they say the worst seems to have passed. Some croplands were damaged as well but nothing to catastrophic.

Without the media, this story would not be getting out to the public. I probably would have no idea that there was a volcano erupting, shutting down air traffic and causing thousands of people great distress. This volcanic experience does not only affect the people living in Iceland. With air traffic down, thousands and thousands of people all around the world were/are affected. Also, if Katla erupts next there could be even more devastation than this last time.

Picture: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/04/21/article-1267721-092C7596000005DC-426_468x286.jpg

Incurable STD?

Most of us have heard about the many STD’s out in the world today. April is STD awareness month and a study was just done on this disease. This disease is one of the more common ones known as Gonorrhea (Neisseria Gonorrhoeae), which is an infectious bacterium that can grow and multiply in the mucous membranes. This is found especially in the mouth, throat, and anus of males and females along with the cervix, fallopian tubes and uterus of the female reproductive tract. Gonorrhea is usually treated with antibiotics such as penicillin or tetracycline. However a new study shows that treating this STD is becoming more difficult to treat because it is starting to resist many antibiotics. If this continues, researchers say that there is a possibility that Gonorrhea may become resistant to all current treatment options.
Left untreated, this common sexually transmitted bacterial infection, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility in women. Also, this disease can spread to the blood or joints creating a life-threatening condition. The bacterium that causes gonorrhea is said to be very versatile and adept to acquiring and developing resistance to antibiotics. Currently, cetriaxone and cefixime are still effective but there are signs of resistance.
In the United States, back in 2008, there were approximately 337,000 cases of gonorrhea reported. Also, in the state of Michigan, for every 1,000 people there are 17 people that have gonorrhea. With this many people having the disease it will certainly be a huge problem if there will be no more cure. I think it is very important that the media keeps looking into this issue because the people out there really need to know what is happening.
Being April and STD Awareness Month, I think there should be more going on to warn people about potential diseases, symptoms and cures of each. If this disease is getting as bad as researchers are saying, why not go another step to inform people on this STD. Obviously many of us know about gonorrhea along with many other STD’s but there are so many out there that have no idea what they are getting into. Hanging up flyers or even launching a short news segment about this disease would be a step up. Going into schools and malls to talk with people or even set up a stand with information would be helpful.

TXTNG

Texting has become a huge item of concern for many in the world. Not only are people getting into car crashes and so on, they are also getting into fights. In Deerfield Beach, Florida a 15-year-old was beaten within inches of her life on March 17, 2010. Josie Lou Ratley was beaten because ‘a text message dispute between Ratley and the suspect’. The boy who did the beating is Wayne Treacy, also 15 years old. The third person involved is a young girl, 13 years old, who appears to be in a relationship with Wayne.
Josie’s 13 year old friend and Wayne were in a relationship but since the young girl did not have a phone, Wayne got in touch with her through Josie. Wayne sent a message seeking to ‘hook up’ but Josie sent a text back objecting their relationship and that is how the fight started. The text message that Josie sent that seems to have triggered Wayne contained a comment about his brother that had committed suicide. Wayne rode his bike almost three miles to the school and the young 13 year old helped him find Josie by directing him to her and pointing her out. Wayne and Josie barely knew each other and he did not know what she even looked like until his girlfriend pointed her out.
Josie is still in the hospital fighting for her life after being beaten so badly. Wayne is being held at a juvenile detention center and the 13 year old is being charged as an accessory. The young boy is awaiting a decision of whether he will be charged as an adult or not, the court date is set for March 26. He is being charged with premeditated attempted murder.
The media is really covering this story and getting the information out there to the public as fast as they can. This incident has also brought up information about the past of this same middle school where a teenage boy was set on fire just last year.
Texting has been a huge problem lately, with people texting while they drive, are in class, and crossing roads. People are putting their lives as well as others at risk when doing some of their everyday activities.
One thing that I disagree on with this article however is that it focus’ a lot on the texting. I see where the message was sent and received, but I would not blame the whole incident on the use of texting. The real problem, I believe, is how kids are being raised and how they are being watched. What happened to the world that believed in never hitting a women or girl? Where do we need to draw the line? Are kids getting to roam free to early in life, are they not being watched like they should, should we take away cell phones? All these questions can be looked at and answered in different ways, but I think that something needs to change.

Devastation in Chile!

On February 27, 2010 a massive earth quake struck Chile with a magnitude of 8.8. This is one of the biggest earthquakes in the last century and over 780 people have lost their lives. One of the hardest-hit areas was the town of Constitucion. The town was just 70 miles from the epicenter and hit first by the earthquake which lead to a tsunami 3o minutes later.

Firefighters and other rescue squads have been working very hard to find people buried in the rubble while also arresting looters. There are serious aftershocks that continue to undermine the help in Chile but the government has not requested a ‘flash appeal’ yet. However President Michele Bachelet has begun accepting some offers from donors around the world.

To stop the need of looting, Bachelet has announced that the essentials in major supermarkets would be given away for free. Food and water will also be distributed by soldiers and police. All this help is needed and a horrible thing happening is the aftershocks. While trying to save hundreds of people and find others buried, aftershocks are continuing. In the first 24 hours of the quake, ninety jolts of 5+ magnitudes hit the region. One was almost as large as the quake that struck Haiti.

Chile’s defense minister said that the navy made a mistake because they did not immediately activate a tsunami warning. Since some warnings were issued in several coastal towns and saved hundreds of lives, not issuing one seems to be a huge mistake. Many lives could have been saved if a warning came out.

Many photographs have been taken of the devastation in Chile. The pictures range from rubble to looters being held at gun point. Sites have also been set up so that people can donate to Chile to help support the search and rescue, along with helping to rebuild.

Another point of interest with this devastating quake is the Earth’s rotation. A NASA scientist said on Monday, that the earthquake may have changed the entire Earth’s rotation and shortened the length of the days on our planet. The earthquake that hit is said to be the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history. Our days should be 1.26 microseconds shorter and the Earth’s figure axis should have moved by about 3 inches.

The effects of the earthquake are large because it was located at the Earth’s mid-latitudes. The quake also slices through the Earth at a steep angle. However, the changes in the Earth’s axis are not unheard of. Several other incidences have occurred over the years including the 9.1 magnitude in 2004. This quake shortened the length of the days by 6.7 microseconds.

Through all this devastation and exploration, the media has done a lot to get the news to people around the world. Through pictures and articles posted and updated, people can have the latest information. This is very critical, especially to people millions of miles away that have family and friends in Chile. Without the media covering events like these, many people, including myself, would not know that they have happened. Also, the information about the Earth is very interesting and important. People should know, and have the right to know, what is going on out there.