Category: Health & Safety

Western Hypocrisy: We Are Failing Our Children

Commentary Adults can do what they wish when it comes to surgically altering their bodies, but Western society has long considered the genital mutilation of children—particularly young girls—to be a heinous crime. Cutting and destroying the sexual reproductive organs of young girls to satisfy the religious and ideological marital demands of controlling men caused a…


Spanish Man Fined and Banned From Australia for Bringing Undeclared Meat and Cheese

A 20-year-old Spanish traveller has copped a $3,300 (USD$2,305) fine and had his visa cancelled—one of Australia’s toughest biosecurity infringements to date—after being caught bringing undeclared raw meat and cheese into Australia. The man became the first person to receive this tough of a fine for bringing a kilogram of raw pork meat and cheese…


Health Hazard Warnings Issued in NSW and South Australia as Mosquito Population Skyrockets

Health authorities in New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia have warned their residents to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes as flooding and summer weather conditions have caused dangerous mosquito-borne viruses to emerge in the two states. On Jan. 11, NSW Health announced that the potentially fatal Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus was detected in…


Doctors Have Doubled Antipsychotic Prescriptions to Children and Youth: Study

Despite the lack of evidence of the safety of antipsychotics in children, who are smaller in size and still rapidly developing, the number of prescriptions to English youth has doubled between 2000 to 2019, a study suggests. The researchers from the University of Manchester examined over seven million children and adolescents aged three to 18. They discovered…


American Gas Association Says Possible Ban on Gas Stoves ‘Reckless,’ Not Based on ‘Sound Science’

The American Gas Association (AGA) has taken aim at what it calls a”reckless” potential ban on gas stoves, and said a report linking the use of natural gas for cooking with asthma is “not substantiated by sound science.” AGA represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver natural gas to more than 73 million customers throughout the…


‘Preppers’: Survival Classes Help People Prepare for the Worst

As a former U.S. Army Ranger, Jeffrey McCaskill once taught survival skills to soldiers. Now, the 58-year-old North Vancouver resident leads the Ready to Thrive Survival School to help prepare civilians for urban and wilderness survival. “I’ve been in places abroad where the economy’s collapsed before my eyes. I know how people act. I know…


Counselor Advises ‘Checking in With Friends and Family,’ Watching for Mental Health Issues After Holidays

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety can be exacerbated throughout the holidays and can carry over into January, according to an Alabama mental health counselor and clinical director. “I always tell people to begin checking in with friends and family more frequently starting in November until the end of January,” said Malissa Galliher,…


Gardeners Have Lower Risk of Chronic and Mental Illness, Study Finds

A first-ever randomised, controlled trial of community gardening has found that beyond eating more fibre and getting more physical activity—two known ways to reduce the risk of cancer and chronic diseases—those who pottered around in gardens also had significantly reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and risk for mental illness. The new study of low-income households…


Intermittent Fasting Lowers Risk of Chronic Disease, Cancer

A new study has revealed that intermittent fasting could potentially reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer by reshaping genes throughout the body and the brain, helping the interconnected organ systems work more smoothly. Intermittent fasting—eating during a specific window of time—has become popular in recent years mainly as a method for burning fat. It…


Marijuana Edibles at Home Land Increasing Number of Children in Hospitals: AAP Study

The number of American children falling sick from eating treats laced with marijuana has surged during the past five years, according to a new study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as pot becomes legal in more places across the country. The study involved a retrospective analysis of the National Poison Data System…