The Holiday Season is in full-swing, and we here at the American Council on Science and Health continue our fight on behalf of good science! Here's where we appeared in recent days:
1) Dr. Jamie Wells appeared on NBC's local Philadelphia affiliate TV station to talk about myths surrounding organ donation. (She was joined by London Hibbs, Miss America's Outstanding Teen for 2019.) Their message was an important one: Teens should sign up to become organ donors when they get their driver's licenses. Sure, it's not pleasant to think about death when you're celebrating a rite of passage, but the truth is, we have a serious organ shortage problem in this country. If everyone volunteered to be an organ donor, much of the problem would be resolved.
2) Dr. Josh Bloom co-authored an opinion piece for Fox News about the incredibly difficult topic of assisted suicide for patients with Alzheimer's disease. (His co-author was Dr. Henry Miller.) Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial and emotional topic, which is complicated by conditions such as dementia. If assisted suicide is going to be legal, then requirements such as the "six-month rule" (i.e., a terminal patient only has six months left to live) and sound mental capacity must be re-evaluated. Drs. Bloom and Miller do an excellent job handling this delicate subject.
3) Dr. Alex Berezow continued his twice weekly radio segment, "Real Science with Dr. B," on a Seattle area radio show hosted by Kirby Wilbur. Topics on Tuesday, November 27th (segment begins at 19:01) included lead in alternative medicine products, anti-vaxxers in Europe, and the Journal of Controversial Ideas; topics on Thursday, November 29th (segment begins at 18:58) included dog intelligence, genetically edited babies, and the prevalence of junk science in the media.
4) LiveScience cited Dr. Josh Bloom's article on methamphetamines. If you want to know why Sudafed is kept behind the pharmacist's counter, Dr. Bloom explains. Hint: It's what Breaking Bad was all about.
