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The anti-opioid zealots have benzodiazepines, especially Xanax, in their sights. The drug is being demonized by (more or less) the same people who created the fake opioid crisis. But how dangerous is it? It is nearly impossible to kill yourself with Valium, another member of the benzodiazepine class. Does this hold true for Xanax? Yes, more or less.

Professional societies annually release guidelines designed to standardize and improve care. But implementing those standards is harder than they -- or frankly, most of us -- think. A concerted effort to improve surgical care across the United Kingdom is falling short.

Different people respond to cannabis in different ways, making a blood THC level difficult to legislate.

It's time to take a look at the newest gold rush. The one not related to sustainable energy, but to the cannabinoids: THC and CBD.

For those of you who reflexively think that "big pharma" is an amorphous, evil entity that could be replaced by government research, think again. The industry exited antibiotic research in the 1990s (largely because FDA statisticians decided that impossibly large clinical trials were required for new antibiotic approval). Now, the antibiotic marketplace is broken. ACSH advisor Dr. David Shlaes discusses how to lure companies back into the field.

Proposition 65, which began its miserable life as The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, now has little to do with safe water or safe anything else. It's a bad joke to scientists, a plague on California businesses, and a goldmine to attorneys. Coffee went onto the list and now it's off. Why? Good question.

The truth is that sugar is just sugar. Neither good nor bad, but simply another dietary component that can be consumed in moderation without guilt or worry. 

Can a Livestock Revolution -- like Norman Borlaug's Green Revolution -- bring technological improvements to increase meat production in an environmentally responsible way? The Breakthrough Institute's whitepaper votes in the affirmative.

Time for another hideous chemistry lesson. No one requested a tutorial on this interesting metal. But guess what -- you got one anyhow! Palladium, named after a Greek goddess and worth more than gold, also keeps our air clean. There's plenty of interesting stuff you'll learn here (if you can stand to read this).

A group of researchers studying drinks seeks a genetic source of our taste. And one important questions emerges: Are some people genetically wired to drink bitter or sweet beverages more often?

Jimmy Carter is reportedly doing well, recovering from surgery for a broken hip sustained after the 94-year-old former president fell at his home. With falls among the top five leading causes of preventable death, context is paramount.

You don't need to purchase an air purifier for your house. You have a built-in air purifier called the respiratory system.

It is such an ancient debate: Does our fate rest in our hands, or in the stars? Scientists in the fate camp present some new data tying behavior to genetic expression. Should those who believe in free-will concede defeat? Let's find out.

The American Council on Science and Health, a leading pro-science consumer advocacy organization, announced today the appointment of Thom Golab as president, only the third person to lead the Council in its 41-year history.

Sometimes facts beat hype. This week was one of those times. The EPA, after years of compiling and evaluating data, declared that it would not approve labels for the herbicide glyphosate that contained a cancer warning. This puts the U.S. agency in direct opposition to California's absurd Proposition 65, which would require a cancer warning label on the chemical -- even though it would be incorrect. The U.S. now joins a dozen other countries that have already determined glyphosate is safe as used.

Who is the "decider?" For glyphosate, the EPA claims authority over California. But for a growing list of concerns, are small minorities demonstrating influence and control over the desires of the majority?

A new study shows that simply picking the "right" hospital may not guarantee the quality of your care. However, where you're placed on the medical and surgical wards can lead to longer stays -- or even readmission.

In 2017, the CDC recorded 2,813,503 deaths in the United States. That's an average of 7,708 per day. But averages can be misleading. While that's the average, there is wide variability depending on the time of year. Specifically, people are far likelier to die during one extreme temperature season than the other.

It's mosquito season in the Northeast, following a very wet spring. Which means there are going to be (1) a whole bunch of mosquitoes, and (2) a whole bunch of people arguing about whether to spray them or not. The goal here is to examine the toxicology of Sumithrin -- the active ingredient in the commonly-used insecticide Anvil -- and come up with a realistic picture of whether it's a deadly poison, a non-toxic chemical ... or something in between. 

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams celebrated Independence Day by trumpeting a study which concluded that Tylenol worked as well as morphine for controlling the pain from a broken rib. But the study was complete nonsense. ACSH caught him and now he's backpedaling like the woman in the bicycle scene from The Wizard of Oz (played backward of course).

One of the core principles of ACSH is harm reduction – an essential component of any sane public health policy. Dr. Jeffrey Singer (pictured) writing for the Cato Institute, calls for harm reduction, both from opioid prescribers and policymakers. Dr. Singer graciously allowed us to reprint his latest essay, which is a must-read.

Stress increases cortisol, in turn, raising blood glucose. If acute stress can raise your blood sugar, what are the effects of chronic stress? Here's what a group of veterans with PTSD are showing us about Type 2 diabetes.

As the rational world continues its descent into madness, the (mis)use of homeopathy seems to be spreading like wildfire. In an attempt to limit antibiotic use in animals, an E.U. group is proposing that homeopathy be used instead. By why stop there? Wouldn't homeopathic grass save a lot of acreage? Or even better, wouldn't a homeopathic cow require neither antibiotics nor grass? Spolier: Stupid alert.

The idea that Lyme disease is due to bioweapons research gone wrong is easily disproven. Our legislators could better spend their time fighting for efforts to prevent disease, instead of investigating a far-fetched story that’s based on misinterpretation and innuendo.

Nutrition facts labeling is changing. Coming soon to a product near you, there will be a new information line telling you how much of the total sugars content is added. But will the new labels make any sense? Angela Dowden weighs in.