Potential Effects of a Ban on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of New Prescription Drug
"Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs has elicited various concerns. One concern is that DTC advertising may add to spending on drugs by consumers, insurers, and the federal government without providing enough benefits to justify that spending; specifically, some observers worry that DTC advertising encourages broader use of certain drugs than their health benefits warrant. Another concern is that DTC advertising for newly approved drugs may lead people to use
drugs whose potential risks were not fully discovered during the drug approval process. Those concerns have spurred recent proposals for a moratorium on advertising brand-name prescription drugs to consumers during the first two years following a drug’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although such a moratorium would allow more time for safety concerns about a new drug to be revealed, it would entail health risks of its own, because some individuals who would
benefit from a new drug might be unaware of its availability in the absence of consumer advertising..."
Saturday, May 28, 2011
A Simpler, Smarter Regulatory System
"The President outlined his plan to create a 21st-century regulatory system, calling for an unprecedented government-wide review to eliminate tens of millions of hours in annual red-tape, and billions of dollars in regulatory costs while protecting the health and safety of the American people."
"The President outlined his plan to create a 21st-century regulatory system, calling for an unprecedented government-wide review to eliminate tens of millions of hours in annual red-tape, and billions of dollars in regulatory costs while protecting the health and safety of the American people."
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Low-Down on High Octane Gasoline
"Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner's manual.
The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.
Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need..."
"Are you tempted to buy a high octane gasoline for your car because you want to improve its performance? If so, take note: the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owner's manual.
The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.
Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money, too. Premium gas costs 15 to 20 cents per gallon more than regular. That can add up to $100 or more a year in extra costs. Studies indicate that altogether, drivers may be spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year for higher octane gas than they need..."
2010 Census Shows Nation's Population is Aging
"The U.S. Census Bureau released today a 2010 Census brief on our nation's changing age and sex composition that shows the nation grew older while the male population grew faster than the female population over the last decade.
According to Age and Sex Composition: 2010 [PDF], the median age of Americans is now 37.2, with seven states recording a median age of 40 or older. The brief also shows the male population grew 9.9 percent between 2000 and 2010, while the female population grew 9.5 percent. Of the total 2010 Census population, 157.0 million people were female (50.8 percent) and 151.8 million were male (49.2 percent)..."
"The U.S. Census Bureau released today a 2010 Census brief on our nation's changing age and sex composition that shows the nation grew older while the male population grew faster than the female population over the last decade.
According to Age and Sex Composition: 2010 [PDF], the median age of Americans is now 37.2, with seven states recording a median age of 40 or older. The brief also shows the male population grew 9.9 percent between 2000 and 2010, while the female population grew 9.5 percent. Of the total 2010 Census population, 157.0 million people were female (50.8 percent) and 151.8 million were male (49.2 percent)..."
2010 Census Shows Nation's Hispanic Population Grew Four Times Faster Than Total U.S. Population
"The U.S. Census Bureau today released a 2010 Census brief on the nation's Hispanic population, which shows the Hispanic population increased by 15.2 million between 2000 and 2010 and accounted for more than half of the total U.S. population increase of 27.3 million. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, or four times the nation's 9.7 percent growth rate.
The Hispanic Population: 2010 brief looks at an important part of our nation's changing ethnic diversity with a particular focus on Hispanic origin groups, such as Mexican, Dominican and Cuban..."
"The U.S. Census Bureau today released a 2010 Census brief on the nation's Hispanic population, which shows the Hispanic population increased by 15.2 million between 2000 and 2010 and accounted for more than half of the total U.S. population increase of 27.3 million. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, or four times the nation's 9.7 percent growth rate.
The Hispanic Population: 2010 brief looks at an important part of our nation's changing ethnic diversity with a particular focus on Hispanic origin groups, such as Mexican, Dominican and Cuban..."
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Next generation fuel economy labels arm consumers with information they can use
Statement of Ray LaHood, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, May 25, 2011.
"Today, I'm excited to join Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson in introducing new fuel economy labels that will empower car buyers with better information about what they will spend or save on fuel costs when looking to purchase a new vehicle. This is one part of President Obama's plan to provide Americans with relief from high gas prices and break our dependence on foreign oil.
These labels offer consumers more information in a more usable format. When shopping for a new vehicle, you'll be able to see your expected savings over a five-year period, a fuel economy comparison to other vehicles in the same class, and easy-to-understand guidance about each car or truck’s environmental impact. The bottom line is that these labels will help people make informed decisions when they're buying a car, so that they can save money at the gas pump.
The new labels also feature a QR code that allows car buyers to comparison shop on the go. Shoppers can scan the QR code with their smartphones to store that vehicle's information, compare it to other vehicles, and access www.fueleconomy.gov for even more information..."
Statement of Ray LaHood, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, May 25, 2011.
"Today, I'm excited to join Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson in introducing new fuel economy labels that will empower car buyers with better information about what they will spend or save on fuel costs when looking to purchase a new vehicle. This is one part of President Obama's plan to provide Americans with relief from high gas prices and break our dependence on foreign oil.
These labels offer consumers more information in a more usable format. When shopping for a new vehicle, you'll be able to see your expected savings over a five-year period, a fuel economy comparison to other vehicles in the same class, and easy-to-understand guidance about each car or truck’s environmental impact. The bottom line is that these labels will help people make informed decisions when they're buying a car, so that they can save money at the gas pump.
The new labels also feature a QR code that allows car buyers to comparison shop on the go. Shoppers can scan the QR code with their smartphones to store that vehicle's information, compare it to other vehicles, and access www.fueleconomy.gov for even more information..."
Options for Changing the Tax Treatment of Charitable Giving
"...For this analysis, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)examined how much taxpayers in various income groups donate to charities and what types of organizations receive those donations. CBO also investigated how changing the structure of tax incentives for giving would affect the tax subsidy (the cost in forgone revenues to the federal government), the overall level of charitable
giving, and the extent to which different income groups benefit from the tax preference. Specifically, CBO looked at 11 options for altering the current income tax treatment of charitable giving, which can be grouped into
4 categories:
Retaining the current deduction for itemizers but adding a floor.
Allowing all taxpayers to claim the deduction, with or without a floor.
Replacing the deduction with a nonrefundable credit for all taxpayers, equal to 25 percent of a taxpayer’s charitable donations, with or without a floor.
Replacing the deduction with a nonrefundable credit for all taxpayers, equal to 15 percent of a taxpayer’s charitable donations, with or without a floor..."
"...For this analysis, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)examined how much taxpayers in various income groups donate to charities and what types of organizations receive those donations. CBO also investigated how changing the structure of tax incentives for giving would affect the tax subsidy (the cost in forgone revenues to the federal government), the overall level of charitable
giving, and the extent to which different income groups benefit from the tax preference. Specifically, CBO looked at 11 options for altering the current income tax treatment of charitable giving, which can be grouped into
4 categories:
Retaining the current deduction for itemizers but adding a floor.
Allowing all taxpayers to claim the deduction, with or without a floor.
Replacing the deduction with a nonrefundable credit for all taxpayers, equal to 25 percent of a taxpayer’s charitable donations, with or without a floor.
Replacing the deduction with a nonrefundable credit for all taxpayers, equal to 15 percent of a taxpayer’s charitable donations, with or without a floor..."
Investor.gov
Find investment information from the newly launched Investor.gov site from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Find investment information from the newly launched Investor.gov site from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Privacy Protection and for Personal Information Online
"There is no comprehensive federal privacy statute that protects personal information. Instead, a patchwork of federal laws and regulations govern the collection and disclosure of personal information and has been addressed by Congress on a sector-by-sector basis. Federal laws and regulations extend protection to consumer credit reports, electronic communications, federal agency records, education records, bank records, cable subscriber information, video rental
records, motor vehicle records, health information, telecommunications subscriber information, children’s online information, and customer financial information. Some contend that this patchwork of laws and regulations is insufficient to meet the demands of today’s technology. Congress, the Obama Administration, businesses, public interest groups, and citizens are all involved in the discussion of privacy solutions. This report examines some of those efforts with respect to the protection of personal information. This report provides a brief overview of selected recent developments in the area of federal privacy law. This report does not cover
workplace privacy laws or state privacy laws..."
"There is no comprehensive federal privacy statute that protects personal information. Instead, a patchwork of federal laws and regulations govern the collection and disclosure of personal information and has been addressed by Congress on a sector-by-sector basis. Federal laws and regulations extend protection to consumer credit reports, electronic communications, federal agency records, education records, bank records, cable subscriber information, video rental
records, motor vehicle records, health information, telecommunications subscriber information, children’s online information, and customer financial information. Some contend that this patchwork of laws and regulations is insufficient to meet the demands of today’s technology. Congress, the Obama Administration, businesses, public interest groups, and citizens are all involved in the discussion of privacy solutions. This report examines some of those efforts with respect to the protection of personal information. This report provides a brief overview of selected recent developments in the area of federal privacy law. This report does not cover
workplace privacy laws or state privacy laws..."
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
2011 Tornado Information
Track tornadoes this season at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Tornado
information Center.
Track tornadoes this season at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Tornado
information Center.
Census Bureau to Release New Data About Nation's Age and Sex Composition and Hispanic Population
"The U.S. Census Bureau will hold an audio and Web news conference to release the next two briefs from the 2010 Census. During the event, Census Bureau demographers will discuss the changes in the nation's age and sex composition, including changes in the median age and sex ratios. The demographers will also discuss the growth and geographic distribution of Hispanic origin groups, such as Mexican, Puerto Rican or Cuban.
When:
Thursday, May 26, 2011; 1 p.m. (EDT)
Who:
Lindsay Howden, statistician, Age and Special Populations Branch,
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Merarys Ríos-Vargas, statistician demographer, Ethnicity and Ancestry Branch,
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Sharon Ennis, statistician, Ethnicity and Ancestry Branch,
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Details:
Audio conference — access information
Toll free number: 1-877-917-7127
Participant passcode: CENSUS
Note: Stay on the line until operator asks for the passcode. Do not key in passcode.
Online presentation — access information
Please login early, as some setup is required.
URL:
Conference number: PW7661562
Audience passcode: CENSUS
If closed captioning is required:
"
"The U.S. Census Bureau will hold an audio and Web news conference to release the next two briefs from the 2010 Census. During the event, Census Bureau demographers will discuss the changes in the nation's age and sex composition, including changes in the median age and sex ratios. The demographers will also discuss the growth and geographic distribution of Hispanic origin groups, such as Mexican, Puerto Rican or Cuban.
When:
Thursday, May 26, 2011; 1 p.m. (EDT)
Who:
Lindsay Howden, statistician, Age and Special Populations Branch,
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Merarys Ríos-Vargas, statistician demographer, Ethnicity and Ancestry Branch,
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Sharon Ennis, statistician, Ethnicity and Ancestry Branch,
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Details:
Audio conference — access information
Toll free number: 1-877-917-7127
Participant passcode: CENSUS
Note: Stay on the line until operator asks for the passcode. Do not key in passcode.
Online presentation — access information
Please login early, as some setup is required.
URL:
Conference number: PW7661562
Audience passcode: CENSUS
If closed captioning is required:
National Library of Medicine Releases “Medicine in the Americas,” Featuring Digitized Versions of American Medical Books Dating Back to 1610
"The National Library of Medicine, the world's largest medical library and a component of NIH, announces the release of "Medicine in the Americas." A digital resource encompassing over 300 early American printed books, Medicine in the Americas makes freely available original works demonstrating the evolution of American medicine from colonial frontier outposts of the 17th century to research hospitals of the 20th century.
Drawing on the collections of NLM's History of Medicine Division and including works from the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada, this initial release of Medicine in the Americas encompasses monographs dating from 1610 to 1865. Additional titles, dating up to 1920 and drawing further upon NLM's comprehensive collection of early American printed books, will be available on an ongoing basis in the future..."
"The National Library of Medicine, the world's largest medical library and a component of NIH, announces the release of "Medicine in the Americas." A digital resource encompassing over 300 early American printed books, Medicine in the Americas makes freely available original works demonstrating the evolution of American medicine from colonial frontier outposts of the 17th century to research hospitals of the 20th century.
Drawing on the collections of NLM's History of Medicine Division and including works from the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada, this initial release of Medicine in the Americas encompasses monographs dating from 1610 to 1865. Additional titles, dating up to 1920 and drawing further upon NLM's comprehensive collection of early American printed books, will be available on an ongoing basis in the future..."
Monday, May 23, 2011
Coffee Consumption and Prostate Cancer Risk and Progression in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study
"...The average intake of coffee in 1986 was 1.9 cups per day. Men who consumed six or more cups per day had a lower adjusted relative risk for overall prostate cancer compared with nondrinkers (RR = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68 to 0.98, Ptrend = .10). The association was stronger for lethal prostate cancer (consumers of more than six cups of coffee per day: RR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.75, Ptrend = .03). Coffee consumption was not associated with the risk of nonadvanced or low-grade cancers and was only weakly inversely associated with high-grade cancer. The inverse association with lethal cancer was similar for regular and decaffeinated coffee (each one cup per day increment: RR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.88 to 1.01, P = .08 for regular coffee and RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.83 to 1.00, P = .05 for decaffeinated coffee). The age-adjusted incidence rates for men who had the highest (≥6 cups per day) and lowest (no coffee) coffee consumption were 425 and 519 total prostate cancers, respectively, per 100 000 person-years and 34 and 79 lethal prostate cancers, respectively, per 100 000 person-years.
Conclusions
We observed a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of lethal prostate cancer. The association appears to be related to non-caffeine components of coffee."
"...The average intake of coffee in 1986 was 1.9 cups per day. Men who consumed six or more cups per day had a lower adjusted relative risk for overall prostate cancer compared with nondrinkers (RR = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68 to 0.98, Ptrend = .10). The association was stronger for lethal prostate cancer (consumers of more than six cups of coffee per day: RR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.75, Ptrend = .03). Coffee consumption was not associated with the risk of nonadvanced or low-grade cancers and was only weakly inversely associated with high-grade cancer. The inverse association with lethal cancer was similar for regular and decaffeinated coffee (each one cup per day increment: RR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.88 to 1.01, P = .08 for regular coffee and RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.83 to 1.00, P = .05 for decaffeinated coffee). The age-adjusted incidence rates for men who had the highest (≥6 cups per day) and lowest (no coffee) coffee consumption were 425 and 519 total prostate cancers, respectively, per 100 000 person-years and 34 and 79 lethal prostate cancers, respectively, per 100 000 person-years.
Conclusions
We observed a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of lethal prostate cancer. The association appears to be related to non-caffeine components of coffee."
Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report 2010
"Preliminary FBI figures reveal that the levels of both violent crime and property crime in the U.S. declined in 2010 from the previous year's data.
The 2010 Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report, just released today, shows a 5.5 percent decrease in the number of reported violent crimes when compared with data from 2009. It also shows a 2.8 percent decline in reported property crimes.
This latest report is based on information submitted to the FBI from 13,007 law enforcement agencies around the country. The crimes covered are murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson..."
"Preliminary FBI figures reveal that the levels of both violent crime and property crime in the U.S. declined in 2010 from the previous year's data.
The 2010 Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report, just released today, shows a 5.5 percent decrease in the number of reported violent crimes when compared with data from 2009. It also shows a 2.8 percent decline in reported property crimes.
This latest report is based on information submitted to the FBI from 13,007 law enforcement agencies around the country. The crimes covered are murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson..."
Geographical Mobility: 2010
"Every year, millions of people pack up and move from one residence to another. This trend has long been an important aspect of American life, affecting both people and geographic areas. In 2010, more than one in 10 U.S. residents (1 year and older) moved within the previous year.
Among the interesting details that came out of the 2010 Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement — seven in 10 of those people moved within the same county, nearly two in 10 moved from a different county within the same state, and about one in 10 moved to a different state.
This information is from Geographical Mobility: 2010, the latest in a series of tables that describe the movement of people in the United States. The tables show the mover rate is different for people who are married versus people who are single. Another factor we can examine is how the mover rate varies by whether the housing unit is owned or rented...
"Every year, millions of people pack up and move from one residence to another. This trend has long been an important aspect of American life, affecting both people and geographic areas. In 2010, more than one in 10 U.S. residents (1 year and older) moved within the previous year.
Among the interesting details that came out of the 2010 Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement — seven in 10 of those people moved within the same county, nearly two in 10 moved from a different county within the same state, and about one in 10 moved to a different state.
This information is from Geographical Mobility: 2010, the latest in a series of tables that describe the movement of people in the United States. The tables show the mover rate is different for people who are married versus people who are single. Another factor we can examine is how the mover rate varies by whether the housing unit is owned or rented...
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