The New York Daily News is reporting that former Environmental Protection Bureau chief Christie Whitman claims New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani blocked efforts to get Ground Zero workers wearing respirators.

And she said she believes illnesses killing first responders can be blamed on the city’s lack of action.



“I’m not a scientist … but I do [believe that],” she told WNBC’s Brian Thompson.



“I mean, we would not have been saying that the workers should wear respirators if … we did not think there might be health consequences.”



She stated the city had the responsibility to make sure workers wore respirators. But many took them off, complaining of heat. She said workers without respirators were barred from cleanup efforts at the Pentagon.



“We were certainly frustrated at not being able to get people to wear respirators because we thought that was critically important to workers on The Pile,” Whitman stated.



“Every day, there would be telephone calls, telephone meetings and meetings in person … with the city when we repeated the message of the necessity of wearing respirators.”

Many first responders have become sick with respiratory illnesses since 9/11. Several deaths are already being blamed on the toxic dust. You can see our past coverage here. You can also read articles here, here and here.



Christie Whitman has concurred to testify in front of congress about the health of Ground Zero workers and Manhattan residents living close to Ground Zero.



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[Source : HealthNewsBlog.com]

Ever since I was a child, the health benefits of fruits and juices have been widely promoted. At that time orange juice, with it’s high compliment of Vitamin C, was the most heralded fruit juice. Since then, research has established that other phytonutrients including citrus flavanones, anthocyanins and a variety of polyphenols might be even more important health promoting components of oranges than Vitamin C. It is now believed that citrus fruits can play a role in preventing a number of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, strokes, certain types of cancer and heart attacks.

Recently, other fruits and juices have taken the spotlight in terms of their health benefits. Pomegranate, mangosteen and cherry juice have all received a great deal of attention both in the lay and scientific press. Only time will tell whether these juices will enter the fruit juice hall of fame alongside orange juice, but with all the attention that they are receiving, it is worth taking a look at their purported benefits.

Read the rest of this entry »

With the longer, warmer days of summer, many people increase their exposure to the sun, increasing the danger of sunburn and sun-related damage to the skin.

Consider a few alarming facts related to the dangers of ultraviolet (U.V.) light exposure:

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If you have teenage boys and are unsure about what topics to cover when discussing ‘the birds and bees’ with them, it may be worth reading the latest piece of research about sexual communication and teenage boys by Marina Epstein and L. Monique Ward from The University of Michigan. The study,1 just published in Springer’s Journal of Youth and Adolescence, shows that parental communication, if indeed there’s any, more often than not focuses on the negative aspects of sex compared to the rather more positive sexual messages teenage boys receive from the media and their peers.

A total of 286 male undergraduates aged 18-24 were asked to recall who had had the greatest influence on their sexual education and, more specifically, who had discussed or been responsible for which aspects. The authors’ goal was to determine whether there is a difference in the information gleaned from parents, peers, and the media, and if the information provided by each group differed in the types of sexual values expressed.

In line with prior studies, the researchers found that most parents had provided some education, but that the type of information provided contrasted sharply to that given by peers and the media. Parents were the strongest supporters of abstinence and provided most information about pregnancy and fertilization. However, for all other topics, parents were seen as having contributed the least.

Communication from peers, conversely, encouraged non relational sex and provided models of dating and sexual behavior and information on being ‘cool’. The media appeared to be equally influential and was strongest in promoting gendered sexual stereotypes and in giving messages promoting sexual freedom. However, the authors point out that there was a great variation between the subjects in what had been covered by which source. For example, the media was also seen as providing the most information on AIDS, STDs, and condoms. Issues of love and homosexuality did not appear to be addressed by any of the sources.

The authors conclude that this study raises several important questions, namely: How do young men negotiate these conflicting views” What messages win” What might make men heed their parents’ advice and not the sexual advice of their peers and the media” But perhaps the most important question for future research is: Which types of messages from which sources are the most influential” Once these questions are answered, we might have some idea of the complex processes of adolescent development and decision making. Thus, we might be superior at influencing our teenage sons to make choices that are right for them and help them negotiate peer and media pressure that encourages them to conform to unhealthy stereotypes.
by : Springer

[Source : :: Doctor Health :: http://dr-health.org]

If you have teenage boys and are unsure about what topics to cover when discussing ‘the birds and bees’ with them, it might be worth reading the latest piece of research about sexual communication and teenage boys by Marina Epstein and L. Monique Ward from The University of Michigan. The study,1 just published in Springer’s Journal of Youth and Adolescence, shows that parental communication, if indeed there’s any, more often than not focuses on the negative aspects of sex compared to the rather more positive sexual messages teenage boys receive from the media and their peers.

A total of 286 male undergraduates aged 18-24 were asked to recall who had had the greatest influence on their sexual education and, more specifically, who had discussed or been responsible for which aspects. The authors’ goal was to determine whether there’s a difference in the information gleaned from parents, peers, and the media, and if the information provided by each group differed in the types of sexual values expressed.

In line with prior studies, the researchers found that most parents had provided some education, but that the type of information provided contrasted sharply to that given by peers and the media. Parents were the strongest supporters of abstinence and provided most information about pregnancy and fertilization. However, for all other topics, parents were seen as having contributed the least.

Communication from peers, conversely, encouraged non relational sex and provided models of dating and sexual behavior and information on being ‘cool’. The media appeared to be equally influential and was strongest in promoting gendered sexual stereotypes and in giving messages promoting sexual freedom. However, the authors point out that there was a great variation between the subjects in what had been covered by which source. For example, the media was also seen as providing the most information on AIDS, STDs, and condoms. Issues of love and homosexuality did not appear to be addressed by any of the sources.

The authors conclude that this study raises several important questions, namely: How do young men negotiate these conflicting opinions” What messages win” What might make men heed their parents’ advice and not the sexual advice of their peers and the media” But perhaps the most important question for future research is: Which types of messages from which sources are the most influential” Once these questions are answered, we might have some idea of the complex processes of adolescent development and decision making. Thus, we might be better at influencing our teenage sons to make choices that are right for them and help them negotiate peer and media pressure that encourages them to conform to unhealthy stereotypes.
by : Springer

[Source : :: Physician Health :: http://dr-health.org]