The DNA in your garbage: up for grabs
Boston Globe (subscription required)
George Annas, School of Public Health
Imagine you stop by a Starbucks one morning, and the shop is robbed only minutes after you leave…
Guantánamo hunger strike: How others have handled such protests
Christian Science Monitor
George Annas, School of Public Health
Speaking at a White House press conference Tuesday, President Obama was blunt about his administration’s decision to force feed hunger strikers at the Guantánamo Bay military prison in Cuba…
Expert quote:
“The truth of the matter is that most hunger strikers don’t die, but it’s not because they’re not willing to. It’s because the people watching will do almost anything to keep them alive. That shows how powerful of a weapon this is.”
Analysis: In force-feeding detainees, Obama has courts on his side
Reuters
George Annas, School of Public Health
As detainees at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, press ahead with a widening hunger strike nearly three months old, President Barack Obama has come under increasing criticism for his policy of force-feeding them…
Expert quote:
“Do we care about indignity? No, you’re a prisoner, we’ll treat you the way we want.”
NYC’s failed cap on sugary drinks prompts soul-searching
Los Angeles Times
Wendy Mariner, School of Public Health, School of Law
George Annas, School of Public Health
After any military operation, participants huddle for what’s called a hot wash: an early after-action review that explores what went wrong — or right– in an effort to glean lessons for future operations…
Expert quote:
“Agencies that overstep their bounds or adopt rules that are intrusive or just plain silly invite backlash, which can make effective public health regulation impossible. They make fools of themselves and heroes of the opponents of public health.”
Limiting “Sugary Drinks” to Reduce Obesity — Who Decides?
New England Journal of Medicine
By Wendy Mariner, School of Public Health, School of Law
By George Annas, School of Public Health
When a judge struck down the New York City Board of Health’s partial ban on selling “sugary drinks” in containers of more than 16 fluid ounces, the reaction was swift…
Report urges genetic sequencers to search for a range of problems
Boston Globe (subscription required)
George Annas, School of Public Health
Some patients may soon find out more about their genetic risks than they wanted to — such as whether they are at higher risk for breast cancer or a heart condition — if doctors heed the advice in a long-awaited report issued Thursday…
Expert quote:
“I give them a lot of credit for taking it on,” said George Annas, a bioethicist at Boston University School of Public Health. “Second, I think it needs more work. . . . You can’t just take away patient autonomy.”
Doc Support for Patient Safety Movement Lags
MedPage Today
George Annas, School of Public Health
Despite all the work in the last decade to improve patient safety and raise awareness of preventable medical errors, physicians by and large have been slow to support the movement, a leader in patient safety said here…
Meet Rex, the real bionic man (and he didn’t cost $6million!): Scientists create body using artificial limbs and organs
Daily Mail
George Annas, School of Public Health
It cost six million dollars to create bionic superhero Steve Austin…
Donating Organs for Cash Sparks Controversy
MyHealthNewsDaily
George Annas, School of Public Health
Would you donate a kidney for cash?
Ethics of hepatitis C drug pitch questioned
Boston Globe
George Annas, School of Public Health
They filed into the hotel conference room, faces pinched with worry, drawn by the prospect of an escape from hepatitis C…
