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Alcohol - the worst drug!

A new study shows that alcohol abuse is by far the worst habit to have when compared to other recreational drugs like crack or heroin. Neuropharmacologist David Nutt, of Imperial College London who is also a former British government drug advisor and his team rated 20 different drugs on a scale that takes into account the various harms caused by a drug. Drugs are rated on the nine harms a drug causes to an individual and seven harms a drug causes to the society. The scale was developed by a panel of experts called the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ICSD), ranges from 0 (no harm) to 100 (greatest possible harm). It is weighted so that a drug that scores 50 is half as harmful as a drug that scores 100.

1 Nov 2010

Dr Sartori’s contentious alternative therapy: inquest date set

The Medical Practitioner's Board of Western Australia is looking into the case of a doctor and her role in an alternative cancer therapy program. Five cancer patients have died after apparently being given industrial solvents and dangerous minerals as a part of an alternative therapy program by Alexandra Boyd, a well-known Mosman Park breast cancer specialist. She along with two registered nurses administered the concoctions to the people in question.

1 Nov 2010

Understanding flirting key to positive romantic interactions

A little self-awareness can help people struggling in the world of relationships, says Jeffrey Hall, assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas.

1 Nov 2010

Author of The Sedona Method releases new video on political atmosphere

Hale Dwoskin, author of The Sedona Method: Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace and Emotional Well-being, has released a new video. This video, entitled "Highest and Best Good for the Planet," tackles the question of what if we simply stopped the fighting, both in everyday lives and in the all-too-often combative political atmosphere.

30 Oct 2010

$700,000 worth of adulterated food seized by U.S. Marshals in Georgia

U.S. Marshals, acting under a court order sought by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, today seized an estimated $700,000 worth of rice and other packaged food products from a rodent-infested warehouse in East Point, Ga. The FDA-regulated food products were stored in a warehouse operated by Sun Hong Kai Holding Inc., which does business as United Food Service.

30 Oct 2010

OVC to award three years funding to Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), in the Department of Justice's Office for Justice Programs, plans to award up to $750,000 over three years in funding dedicated to helping American victims of domestic violence overseas. This is the first year OVC awarded the funding.

30 Oct 2010

Global agriculture production must increase 70% by 2050 and adapt to climate change, FAO report says

Agriculture production worldwide needs to increase 70 percent by 2050 to meet global food demands, yet "billions of dollars in additional annual investment" are required to meet this goal and reduce the negative effects on the environment, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report (.pdf) on Thursday, Reuters reports.

30 Oct 2010

U.S. government report says U.S. aid effort in Afghanistan is poorly coordinated

An audit of U.S. projects to rebuild Afghanistan found a 'confusing labyrinth' of agencies and contractors in a poorly coordinated aid effort that cannot easily demonstrate how money is being spent, a report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

29 Oct 2010

Transparency International Corruption Index released

The nonprofit Transparency International (TI) released its annual report ranking corruption in countries across the world on Tuesday, NPR's "The Two-Way" blog reports (Sutherland, 10/26).

29 Oct 2010

Victoria crime rates report encouraging but battle far from won

Alcohol related crimes may have reduced but have not totally gone say Victorian Police. Reports released this September showed that while CBD assaults dropped 14 per cent overall crime across the state is down 3.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.

28 Oct 2010

Health department officer admits taking bribes

The Western Australia Corruption and Crime Commission is now inquiring into the case of a senior public servant who admitted to using his position in the Health Department to personally gain around a million dollars in money and gifts between 2004 and 2009.

28 Oct 2010

Mylan's motion for interim injunction denied by Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Mylan Inc. today announced that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied its motion for an interim injunction pending an on-going appeal of a recent New Jersey District Court decision.

28 Oct 2010

Kings Cross drug injecting center gains permanent status

After much debate the parliament’s upper house voted to maintain the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross permanently this week on Wednesday. The votes stood 22 -15 for the centre to be given permanent status. This followed approval for a change from trial to permanent status by the lower house last week.

27 Oct 2010

Guardian examines global food price volatility

Rising food prices and shortages could cause instability in many countries as the cost of staple foods and vegetables reached their highest levels in two years, with scientists predicting further widespread droughts and floods, the Guardian reports in a story examining the significance of rising food prices worldwide.

27 Oct 2010

Stress can literally show up on the face

According to an Australian stylist stress affects the health as well as appearance. Gregory Landsman, the author of Face and Fitness said that high stress level is immediately visible on a person’s face.

26 Oct 2010

New York Times profiles USAID Administrator Shah

The New York Times profiles USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and examines the challenges that come with leading the development agency at this point in time.

26 Oct 2010

Competition for agricultural land contributes to hunger of 500M small-scale farmers, U.N. official says

Approximately 500 million small-scale farmers worldwide are going hungry because of "an explosive cocktail" of farmland speculation, environmental damages and urbanization, Olivier De Schutter, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food, said on Thursday, the Associated Press/Winnipeg Free Press reports (Lederer, 10/21).

25 Oct 2010

Aid agencies threaten to leave Afghanistan as President Karzai orders private security firms to dissolve

Companies and aid organizations implementing hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S.-funded projects here say they are preparing to leave Afghanistan unless President Hamid Karzai amends a decree that outlaws their private security protection, the Wall Street Journal reports.

25 Oct 2010

Energy drinks under scrutiny as a pub ban is considered

Energy drinks might finally be facing a ban what with both the Australian Government and Opposition committing to handling the issue. The highly-caffeinated drink Mother is sold at 95 pubs and clubs across the state. This is despite NSW Health officials warning that energy drinks mixed with alcohol can provoke sexual assaults and an increased rate of violence.

24 Oct 2010

World Bank extends food crisis response fund for countries experiencing high food prices

"The World Bank on Monday cited growing instability in food prices" before announcing that it would extends its Global Food Crisis Response Program through June 2011, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports (10/18).

22 Oct 2010