SIRC Media Watch Archive
Scares and Miracles – October 2001
Haunted House Wants Safer Teen Sex. Teen-agers may have outgrown their fear of ghouls and goblins, but health officials believe their haunted house has something far scarier: gonorrhea and genital warts. Hoping to combat one of the nation's highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases, city health officials have staged the "STD Free! Haunted House." Yahoo.
CSM Highlights Lead Poisoning Dangers at Firing Ranges. Citizens for a Safer Minnesota (CSM) today joined the Minnesota Academy of Pediatrics in raising awareness regarding the risks of lead poisoning at firing ranges in Minnesota. The campaign commences this week as part of 'National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week'. "We are concerned about the heightened risk for lead poisoning at firing ranges in Minnesota, especially for children under six and for pregnant women," said Rebecca Thoman, MD, Executive Director of CSM. Yahoo.
Ear infection linked to childhood obesity. Parents of babies and small children with ear infections may be overfeeding them to soothe their ear discomfort, unknowingly contributing to childhood obesity, a public health official said. Reuters.
Marathon running may be risky for the heart. Some individuals may think that because exercise-and running in particular-is known to be good for the heart, marathon running must be even more heart-healthy. But findings from two new studies suggest that marathon running may actually increase one's risk of a heart attack or other cardiac event. Contrary to the opinion of some "hardcore recreational runners," marathon running is not the "holy grail" that provides the ultimate protection against heart disease, lead study author and former marathon runner Dr. Arthur J. Siegel of McLean Hospital in Belmont. Reuters.
Anti-theft tags 'pose danger to children'. Security devices used in many stores emit magnetic radiation at levels above international guidelines and may damage the health of children, scientists warned yesterday. Telegraph.
Experts Warn of Dangers of Gas Masks. Gas masks are flying off the shelves in U.S. and European cities as protection against feared biochemical attacks, but experts warn that without proper fitting and training masks could be useless or even deadly. MSNBC.
Pain problems 'worse after terror'. Tens of thousands of Americans suffering from physical pain say their symptoms have got worse since the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September. BBC.
