Click on this link for more information about the FDA's ban on flavored cigarettes.
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm182186.htm
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
Hydrocephalus and how it affects children as they grow.
Hydrocephalus is a chronic neurological condition characterized by an abnormal accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain, leading to increased pressure. Hydrocephalus can be congenital (present at birth) or acquired at any stage of life. This invisible disability occurs in about 2 of every 1,000 live births and affects an estimated one million Americans. There is no known way to prevent or cure hydrocephalus. The most effect treatment is surgical insertion of a shunt, a flexible tube that diverts the flow of fluid from the head to another region of the body where it can be absorbed.
Teachers and school administrators may not know that a student has hydrocephalus until a shunt malfunction occurs (headaches, vomiting, swelling, etc) and even then the child may be asymptomatic. However, this chronic condition may affect the student’s ability to learn and mature intellectually, socially and emotionally. Most children with hydrocephalus have normal or above-average intelligence and are eager and willing to learn and succeed. It is not uncommon, however, for them to have learning disabilities that have the potential to hinder their overall development if not recognized and remediated in a timely manner. There is no standard profile of “the child with hydrocephalus” – just as there is no standard profile of “the typical child.” However, by understanding more about hydrocephalus and its physical, cognitive, and behavioral effects, you can ameliorate areas of weakness and vulnerability to positively affect a students learning style and social and emotional growth. Collectively, we can improve the lives of all children diagnosed with hydrocephalus, beginning with their education. Please contact the Hydrocephalus Association for our teacher’s guide to hydrocephalus and other resources at www.hydroassoc.org or info@hydroassoc.org.
Bonnie Hom
Youth and Community Coordinator
Hydrocephalus Association
870 Market Street, Suite 705
San Francisco, CA 94102
Ph: (415) 732-7040
Fax: (415) 732-7044
www.HydroAssoc.org
Teachers and school administrators may not know that a student has hydrocephalus until a shunt malfunction occurs (headaches, vomiting, swelling, etc) and even then the child may be asymptomatic. However, this chronic condition may affect the student’s ability to learn and mature intellectually, socially and emotionally. Most children with hydrocephalus have normal or above-average intelligence and are eager and willing to learn and succeed. It is not uncommon, however, for them to have learning disabilities that have the potential to hinder their overall development if not recognized and remediated in a timely manner. There is no standard profile of “the child with hydrocephalus” – just as there is no standard profile of “the typical child.” However, by understanding more about hydrocephalus and its physical, cognitive, and behavioral effects, you can ameliorate areas of weakness and vulnerability to positively affect a students learning style and social and emotional growth. Collectively, we can improve the lives of all children diagnosed with hydrocephalus, beginning with their education. Please contact the Hydrocephalus Association for our teacher’s guide to hydrocephalus and other resources at www.hydroassoc.org or info@hydroassoc.org.
Bonnie Hom
Youth and Community Coordinator
Hydrocephalus Association
870 Market Street, Suite 705
San Francisco, CA 94102
Ph: (415) 732-7040
Fax: (415) 732-7044
www.HydroAssoc.org
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
FDA Statement on the Regulatory Status of “Electronic” Cigarettes, Cigars and Pipes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reviewed several electronic cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, and refused their admission for import into the United States. The agency has acted because the products offered for import are unapproved new drugs requiring FDA approval to be legally marketed in the U.S. Additionally, because they are drug-device combinations under U.S. law, they are also adulterated devices (see 21 U.S.C. 351(f)(1)(B)).
These products are devices in which nicotine and other chemicals are turned into a vapor to be inhaled by the user. They are typically designed to look like conventional cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, and be used the same way.
The FDA is concerned about the potential for addiction to and abuse of these products. They may also be perceived as safer alternatives to conventional tobacco use and possibly initiate nicotine use among those who have never smoked, or among former smokers. This could then lead to an increase in the use of conventional tobacco products by young people, with well-known adverse health consequences.
As of March 1, 2009, the FDA has refused 17 shipments of various brands of these "electronic" cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, and their components. The agency will continue to evaluate these products on a case-by-case basis.
These products are devices in which nicotine and other chemicals are turned into a vapor to be inhaled by the user. They are typically designed to look like conventional cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, and be used the same way.
The FDA is concerned about the potential for addiction to and abuse of these products. They may also be perceived as safer alternatives to conventional tobacco use and possibly initiate nicotine use among those who have never smoked, or among former smokers. This could then lead to an increase in the use of conventional tobacco products by young people, with well-known adverse health consequences.
As of March 1, 2009, the FDA has refused 17 shipments of various brands of these "electronic" cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, and their components. The agency will continue to evaluate these products on a case-by-case basis.
Action for Healthy Kids Applauds Senate Focus on School Environment
Chicago, IL. (March 31, 2009) -- Action for Healthy Kids applauds Senate attention to the impact of the total school environment on the overall nutritional and physical health of our nation’s children and youth. A diverse group of individuals with links to parents, education, nutrition and physical activity, and the food industry, among others will appear before the Senate Agriculture Committee today at the hearing, Beyond Federal School Meal Programs: Reforming Nutrition for Kids in Schools. Speakers will share perspectives about ways to bring better nutrition and health to students through efforts across the school setting.
“Action for Healthy Kids was founded on the vision to improve the school environment so that all kids will develop the lifelong habits necessary to promote health and learning, and as a nation, we can address the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth,” said Rob Bisceglie, Action for Healthy Kids executive director. “We urge the Committee Members and speakers to take a holistic approach toward this challenge, seriously examining what our kids eat and drink while at school, and the physical education and activity opportunities available to them.”
As an organization, Action for Healthy Kids also has worked to draw attention to the documented relationships between what children eat, how active they are, and their performance in school. “We know that children who eat poorly or who participate in too little physical activity do not perform as well as they could academically. Conversely, it has been shown that improvements in nutrition, in particular eating breakfast, and physical activity can result in improvements in academic performance,” said Bisceglie. “As our policymakers look at ‘reforming nutrition for kids in schools’ it’s critical that school breakfast and other efforts to make nutrient-rich foods more available receive high priority and adequate funding.”
“Our children deserve decisive action supported by our best thinking to give them a fair chance as they grow up,” Bisceglie added. “We hope that today’s Senate hearing will add meaningful substance to the child health discussion.”
About Action for Healthy Kids Action for Healthy Kids® is a national nonprofit organization that addresses the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on improving nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in schools. This grassroots public-private partnership of 65 organizations and government agencies supports the efforts of Teams comprised of more than 11,200 volunteers in all states and the District of Columbia. Action for Healthy Kids was founded in 2002 by former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, in response to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, which identified the school environment as one of five key sites of change. To learn more, visit www.ActionForHealthyKids.org
“Action for Healthy Kids was founded on the vision to improve the school environment so that all kids will develop the lifelong habits necessary to promote health and learning, and as a nation, we can address the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth,” said Rob Bisceglie, Action for Healthy Kids executive director. “We urge the Committee Members and speakers to take a holistic approach toward this challenge, seriously examining what our kids eat and drink while at school, and the physical education and activity opportunities available to them.”
As an organization, Action for Healthy Kids also has worked to draw attention to the documented relationships between what children eat, how active they are, and their performance in school. “We know that children who eat poorly or who participate in too little physical activity do not perform as well as they could academically. Conversely, it has been shown that improvements in nutrition, in particular eating breakfast, and physical activity can result in improvements in academic performance,” said Bisceglie. “As our policymakers look at ‘reforming nutrition for kids in schools’ it’s critical that school breakfast and other efforts to make nutrient-rich foods more available receive high priority and adequate funding.”
“Our children deserve decisive action supported by our best thinking to give them a fair chance as they grow up,” Bisceglie added. “We hope that today’s Senate hearing will add meaningful substance to the child health discussion.”
About Action for Healthy Kids Action for Healthy Kids® is a national nonprofit organization that addresses the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on improving nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in schools. This grassroots public-private partnership of 65 organizations and government agencies supports the efforts of Teams comprised of more than 11,200 volunteers in all states and the District of Columbia. Action for Healthy Kids was founded in 2002 by former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, in response to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, which identified the school environment as one of five key sites of change. To learn more, visit www.ActionForHealthyKids.org
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