Defense department substance abuse strategies are insufficient, report finds. Alcohol and prescription drug abuse among military personnel has risen over the last decade, but the Armed Forces’ treatment and screening programs remain behind the times, says a new Institute of Medicine report. Binge drinking among active-duty personnel increased to 47 percent in 2008, up from 35 percent in 1998. And 11 percent of active-duty personnel misused prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers, in 2008 — up from 2 percent in 2002. The report recommends the military modernize its drug treatment programs, institute routine screening for alcohol abuse and consider restricting alcohol availability by increasing prices at base stores. The New York Times, NewsHour
Study links BPA to childhood obesity, adding weight to calls for broader bans. White children exposed to high levels of bisphenol A are five times more likely to be obese than kids with low levels, according to study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The chemical, used in food packaging, paper receipts and dental sealants, has been linked to obesity in adults and animals, but this is the first research linking it to childhood obesity. BPA was not associated with obesity in the Black and Latino kids studied, puzzling researchers. Traces of the chemical are found in virtually every U.S. adult and child. The FDA has banned the chemical’s use in baby bottles and several states have instituted bans that cover children’s products and sports bottles. Environmental Health News, ABC News
With growing numbers of senior drivers on the road, states seek to address safety. By 2030, about one fourth of licensed drivers will be 65 or older, but there is little consistency in state rules ensuring seniors are fit to drive. Shorter license renewals, for example, kick in at age 59 in Georgia but not until age 85 in Texas. Illinois has some of the strictest rules — requiring a road test with every license renewal starting at age 75. While fatal accidents rates among seniors have dropped over the past decade, drivers over 85 still have the highest rate of deadly crashes per mile — worse, even, than teens. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed guidelines calling on all states to address the issue, protect doctors from lawsuits if they report possibly unsafe drivers and require in-person renewals after a certain age. The Associated Press
Shell will delay arctic drilling until 2013. The news came after a spill containment dome was damaged in its final safety test — the latest in a string of setbacks in Shell’s six year, $4.5 billion effort to tap the oilfields off the Alaska coast. In July, the company failed to obtain a safety certificate for its spill response barge, causing a delay. The arctic drilling season is short because of ice, poor weather and whale migration. Environmentalists, who oppose the drilling plan, suggested the company’s inability to control its containment equipment under predictable test conditions bodes poorly for its chances of stopping a leak in the Arctic’s treacherous waters. Reuters, The Associated Press, The New York Times
Cell phones, wireless networks pose no health risk, study finds. There is no evidence that low-level electromagnetic fields generated by mobile phones cause health problems, according to a study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Researchers found no association between mobile phone use and cancer, impaired male fertility, reproductive problems or other health risks. Other studies examining whether mobile phones cause slow-growing tumors in the head and neck have found no association. Still, researchers recommended using a headset to minimize exposure as a precaution. London Daily Mail, ScienceBlog
Recalls: Frescolina Ricotta Salata cheese, United Salad Co. products containing mangoes,
