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While an investigation is underway into the exact nature of the problem, so far the likeliest explanation is that improper use of vaping devices has led to illness, or the death, of some users. But that sort of nuance isn't governing the thinking of the FDA or CDC officials, both of which are allowing myths and fearmongering to drive their policies and public statements.

Although no official cause of serious, vaping-related lung injuries has been established, chemistry can enable us to make a reasonable guess. And it all goes back to a simple procedure that you may have done in high school chem lab: distillation.

A healthier gut bacteria and trimmer waistline from drinking red wine? Oh, how we hope so. Unfortunately, in keeping with all large nutritional epidemiological studies, there can be no firm conclusion, despite the headlines promising otherwise.

A recent survey shows that Americans despise the pharmaceutical industry not only more than ever before, but also more than any other business sector. Dr. Chris Gerry closely examines the factors -- both sensible and nonsensical -- that have contributed to Big Pharma's rock-bottom reputation.

With the calendar turning to September, football fans across America rejoice as NFL and college football teams once again take the field. In between watching our favorites, we have continued to fight the good fight for science and health. Here's where ACSH appeared over the past couple of weeks.

A group from University of Arizona's College of Biomedical Engineering has figured out how to turn a smartphone into an analytical instrument. It's capable of measuring an insanely small quantity of norovirus – the bug the causes viral gastroenteritis. Water samples can now be checked for viral contamination. Very clever, indeed.

"Things have not gotten as stupid as they are going to get." That was a 2015 tweet from John Tabin, co-host of a podcast called "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Friends." It's fair to say, judging solely by infectious disease stories, that since then his prophecy has been fulfilled several times over.

Unless he has a miraculous change of mind and heart, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be remembered as a scourge on public health. He'll also be the Kennedy whose words and actions encouraged the spread of not only measles, mumps, and rubella but influenza and cervical cancer as well. What a legacy.

Although Louis Pasteur had never worked with silkworms before, he was called upon by the French silk industry to save it from a potentially catastrophic epidemic among silkworms.

The Office of National Statistics in Great Britain reports that the number of suicides last year surged nearly 12% over those in 2017. Contrary to popular myth, suicides are preventable. The reason? Suicide is often a spur-of-the-moment decision. Therefore, if that impulse can be interrupted there's a good chance a life can be saved.

CVS just sent out a mass email patting itself on the back because the pharmacy chain no longer sells cigarettes. That's fine and good. But here's some of the other junk they sell.

The enormous Rand Corporation just issued a 265-page report discussing how and why fentanyl is plaguing the United States. Interesting stuff, but "itsy bitsy" ACSH was all over this years ago. See for yourself.

With Chevron’s demise come predictions of gloom and doom, especially with a science-averse (and illiterate) Supreme Court, although most concerns raised are theoretical and amorphous. But there are real and worrisome science-laden issues on the radar. Here’s one concerning food and FDA product classification begging for vigilance.

Why is it that brilliant ideas proven in research seem to lose their spark faster than a cheap battery in the real world? Welcome to the Voltage Effect. In today’s episode, aspirin triumphs in the lab, but in the wild? Well, let's just say doctors are sticking to their old scripts.

Chernobyl's ghost
Plants have their tale to tell,
The label tells a story where science and compromise unfold.
Restaurants built for fleeting trust

I recently joined Lars Larson on his show to discuss a historic and controversial topic — the dropping of the atomic bombs in August 1945 that ended WWII.

A recent study claimed that excessive sitting – all too common in our modern, hyper-connected world – is more deadly than smoking and HIV. The solution, the researchers claimed, is a novel creation known as the treadmill desk, which allows people to exercise during their work days. How truthful is all this? Not very.

America's prohibitionist assault on prescription opioids has left an untold number of chronically ill patients without access to adequate pain control, encouraging them to use illicit substances like heroin – or even take their own lives, to end their suffering. Some drug policy reformers say the solution to this tragic situation is outright legalization of all drugs. How well would that policy actually work? Let's take a look.

Cilantro. Whether you love it or hate it can be partly determined by a difference in a single gene in your nasal passage. Roughly 10-20% of us think it tastes like soap. The chemistry of odor concentration can explain some of this. Or you can just hate it for no good reason.

Legionnaires’ Disease, the underappreciated invisible villain quietly thriving in your local cooling towers and causing more deaths than foodborne illnesses, is the "cool" threat nobody's talking about. It's literally that, because Legionnaires’ Disease is spread by air conditioning. It’s high time we give it the attention it deserves.

Despite early optimism, recent research suggests that increasing ventilation, in places like schools, might not be the silver bullet we imagined it to be in limiting airborne virus transmission. While mechanical ventilation and open windows became staples of post-COVID safety protocols, a new study shows that even high ventilation rates have little impact on preventing the spread of infections, like influenza.

The opioid crisis is a tangled web of statistics and assumptions, where numbers are often granted undue certainty, and pain is quantified through imperfect means. A recent study in Addiction explores the complexities of opioid prescribing for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) and the problematic use of pharmaceuticals, unearthing biases and inconsistencies in definitions and diagnoses. The perceived prevalence of opioid misuse in pain management is as varied as it is misunderstood, raising questions about the reliability of data and the motivations behind its interpretation.

Public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court has plummeted in recent years. Restoring it will require the Court to demonstrate a greater willingness to engage with, and defer to, scientific expertise, as well as prioritizing the well-being of patients in healthcare and public health rulings.

As courts bash sound science and generate questionable decisions, an old cry for constituting “science courts” has been revived. Ethical dilemmas created by scientific advances also cry for resolution. Some believe that special tribunals dedicated to scientific questions might be a panacea. I advise against this facile solution.

When it comes to sustainability, we all love a good glass half-full of self-righteousness. But now, your orange juice-sipping habits are a battlefield for eco-consciousness, with glass bottles glowing in their saintly aura. Meanwhile, plastic sits in the corner like a misunderstood villain. But here’s the juicy bit — our wallets seem to have more influence than our planet-saving intentions.