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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1995)
P age A3 T he P ortland O bserver • A ugust 16, 1995 H E A LTH Tobaco companies On The Defensive by L aurence M c Q uillan President B ill Clinton Thursday unleashed government regulators on the powerful tobacco industry in an attempt to curb smoking by young people, prompting immediate oppo sition from the industry. “ We should do everything we possibly can to keep tobacco out o f the hands o f our young people,” Clinton said during a b rie f meeting with young people in the Oval O f fice. He was to detail his plan at a news conference later Thursday. Tobacco companies immediate ly responded in the courts to try to stop measures being proposed by the Food and Drug Adm inistration to carry out C linton’ s plan. A coalition o f advertisers said it also planned to file a lawsuit against proposed curbs on tobacco advertising. The FD A unveiled a set o f pro posed rules including a ban on ciga rette vending machines and strict new lim its on advertising o f cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. Sponsorship o f sporting events by cigarette makers would be pro hibited, although the corporate par ents o f such firms would still be able to underwrite athletic events. In addition, the FDA called fo r a $ 150 m illion education and advertis ing campaign funded by the tobacco industry to discourage young people from smoking. The agency proposed a federal ban on tobacco sales to those under 18, extending a ban al ready effective in many states. The agency said nicotine was a drug and thus can be regulated, but it added that no outright ban on the sale o f tobacco products was planned. As the cumbersome, time-con suming regulatory process started unfolding, the W hite House said Clinton would prefer congressional action to accomplish his goal o f cut ting teen smoking by 50 percent by 2000. “ From the president’s point o f view, the ideal outcome would be for Congress to very quickly enact legis lation that codifies exactly these measures that he proposes today,” W h ite House spokesman M ik e M cCurry told reporters. McCurry said congressional ac tion would make it less likely that the effort would get bogged down in court. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and the other four major U.S. cigarette manufacturers said Thursday they had filed suit against the FDA and David Kessler, the agency’ s com missioner, asking the courts to block the F D A ’s move. “ The FD A ’s attempt to exert ju risdiction over cigarettes is an unprec edented and unlawful effort to extend its regulatory reach far beyond its stat utory mandate and to usurp the legis lative authority o f Congress,” said Charles Blixt, senior vice president and general counsel o f R.J. Reynolds, the maker o f Camel cigarettes. “ Clearly, the F D A ’s intent to regulate cigarettes indicates their true goal is controlling adult choices and adult behaviors — not youth access to cigarettes,” he added in a state ment announcing the suit. It said the suit was filed in feder al court in North Carolina, a key tobacco-producing state. C linton’s intitiative had poten tia lly vast economic and political consequences. The FDA estimates that its proposals w ill cost the tobac co industry $39 m illion in one-time costs and $227 m illion in annual operating expenses, includingthecost o f the advertising campaign. But it estimated that overall health benefits to the U.S. popula tion could total as much as $43 b il lion a year i f smoking by young peo ple can be cut in half. Politically, the tobacco crack down could be risky for Cl inton, who faces an uphill re-election battle in 1996. Tobacco production is a big el ement o f the economies o f several Southern or border states, including North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and M aryland and the measures would indirectly touch other states like South Carolina, which produces tobacco-related products. Big medical groups, briefed by Clinton on Thursday, welcomed the proposals. “ The American Heart Associa tion views this as probably the most important public health move by the government in the last 30 years,” the associatio n ’ s president, Sidney Smith, told reporters. ...«bar onri some cancers. Sn strokes and So the the economic and medical potential is huge. But the research is still in very early stages, and crucial questions remain about whether the “ ob” gene and the protein it produces, a hor mone Freidman called leptin fo r the mice obese. “ This is a clear demonstration that the protein works in animals,” said D r. J e ffre y F rie d m a n , a Rockefeller University scientist who was one o f the “ ob” gene discover ers. The journal Science released the studies early after news leaked on Wall Street and started affecting stock prices o f at least two companies in volved in the search fo r drugs to help people lose weight and keep it off. Americans spend some $30 b il lion a year on weight control. And obesity is a vast public health prob lem linked to diabetes, heart disease. Greek root for “ thin,” work the same way in humans as they do in mice. Although a genetic tendency to fat seems likely, doctors stress that diet, exercise and lifestyle are also crucial for both slimness and overall good health. The Science papers report on two different, but related, research directions. In one vein, Friedman and his colleagues at Rockefeller and at the California biotech company Amgen are looking at leptin itself as a poten- part LaRoche Inc. and its corporate part- ner M illen ium are looking more closely at how the protein acts on the brain. They are interested in seeing whether the problem in humans is not so much a lack o f the hormone itself but a problem in the brain’s ability to get the message the hormone is send ing about fat regulation and food intake. Friedman, a Howard Hughes M edical Institute ihvestigator at Rockefeller, found that mice who lacked the ob gene and made no leptin lost 30 percent o f their body weight when treated with the hor mone for two weeks. Amgen chief executive officer Gordon Binder said the company hopes to start preliminary clinical tia l d ie t therapy. Am gen paid i trials in 1996 on humans to test for, Rockefeller $20 m illion for a license safety. Under a “ best case scenario,” to develop products based on the a drug could be available in three or gene four years, but he stressed that much In the other, a team at Hoffman- Jose Calva-Diaz, 4, receives a toy from nurse Marie Hensley of Multnomah County after receiving an immunization at the Neighborhood Health Clinic, 4945 N.E. 7th. Shots, to prevent childhood diseases, were given free to children throughout the Portland area Aug. 5 in a special campaign sponsored in part by more Vitam in C than the average McDonalds Restaurants of Oregon and Southwest Washington. work still has to be done. Vitimin C Used As Sun Protector A liq u id form ula containing large amounts o f Vitam in C may protect sun worshippers from skin cancer even as it erases wrinkles and encourages skin to rt^ n e ra te , a sci entist said. Sheldon Pinnel, aderr.” J u g it at Duke University Medical Centre, said preliminary testing on mice and on humans in Canada has shown the concentrated liquid appears to con trol the skin’ s swelling reaction to the sun’ s burning rays. Extended use could promote the production o f collagen by skin cells, potentially ridding the skin o f w rin- kles. It also protects for three days after being absorbed. “ Sunscreens block by absorbing the rays o f the sun but no sun-screen can block all the rays,” Pinnel said, adding he would recommend use o f both sunscreens and his product, called Cellex. “ Vitam in C causes a chemical reaction to (ultraviolet) lig h t... act ing as a modest anti-inflammatory, which is effective in treating sun burn,” he said at a meeting o f the American Academy o f Dermatolo- gy- The fluid contains 20 to 40 times person can ingest in a day. It causes a chemical reaction w ithin the skin cells and mitigates sunburn. Norm ally, intense sun can tem porarily suppress the immune sys tem, which scientists believe can lat er lead to skin cancer. C e lle x has been introduced in Canada but not in the U nited (Photo by Duane Lewis) e e . . V* • I Chicago Medical Center. • • • • * 1 - — a — —. * — —. — “ The bottom line is that one can nowbuildabetteraspirin. Itw o n 'tb e more effective, but it would be safer to take,” said Garavito, who together with French scientists has shown how aspirin and pain relievers like it stop pain and inflammation. Aspirin has been used by hu mans for thousands o f years. It was free choice. “ The procedures he is propos ing border on infringing on personal freedom, people’ s right to make choices for themselves,” said Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican. McCurry said Clinton was com pelled to act by irrefutable evidence that smoking is harmful physically, and is attracting young people in rapidly growing numbers after a de cline in the 1970s and 1980s. “ The main reason that we are acting now is that the FDA has com pleted a study o f this issue that began in February, 1994 ... The president had no choice but to act on the sc ien- tific determ ination made by the FDA,” he said. (SPECIAL)-The Federal Govern ment has approved a drug that is exciting researchers in the treat ment of pain. The material has been included in the formula for a new product known as "Arthur Itis»" and is being called a "Medical Miracle" by some, in the treatment of debilitating conditions such as arthritis, bursitis, rheumatism, pain ful muscle aches, joint aches, simple backache, bruises, and more Al though the mechanism of action is unclear, experiments indicate that Arthur Itis™ relieves pain by first selectively attracting, and then de stroying the messenger chemical which carries pain sensations to the brain, thus eliminating pain in the affected area Arthur Itis™ is an odorless, greaseless, non-staining cream and is available immediately without a prescription and is guar anteed to work Us. only » dkvcWC AVAILABLE AT: H e a l t h t e k P h a rm a c y 1423 L lo y d C e n t e r 2 8 4 -6 9 7 8 vj.v/is® \<& W o immunise < States, although it would not require government approval because its combination o f ingredients have pre viously been apporved for other cos- Because, immunizing children on schedule is the best protection against dangerous childhood diseases. Along with regular checkups at the doctor’s office or local health clinic, immunizations are the best way to keep all children healthy. metic uses. Research May Lead To Safer Aspirin A safer aspirin w ith fewer side- effects may be marketed in years ahead now that researchers have unlocked the ancient mystery o f how the pain reliever works. “ The drug companies are al ready hot on this,” said Dr. Michael Garavito, o f the University o f cans but also some Democrats — called it a possible infringement on Pain may be eliminated for millions Experimental Drug Disolves Fat ■ 1__ A newly discovered protein has helped fat mice get thin, raising hopes that it could lead to a new weapon in the never-ending human war on flab. Three separate research papers appearing on Friday in the journal Science describe advances made since a team last December identi fied the “ ob” gene believed to make Democrats in Congress general ly applauded the plan but tobacco- state lawmakers — mostly Republi l/r tM n k s sa t-k x o l m - i t r t c first l / i taken as - i an herbal preparation made from w illo w tree bark and then synthesized in pure form a cen tury ago. Its chem ical dynam ics re mained a mystery until recently. They have now been explained by G aravito and colleagues at the Institut o f Biology in Paris. H£R£*5 TH£ SCH£DU£ Scientist Discover Alzheimer Gene A newly-discovered risk gene for Alzheim er’s disease may help doctors better understand the dis ease and may lead to more effective drug treatment. Research published in the A u gust issue o f Nature Genetics showed the new gene, called AC T, interacts w ith a well-known risk gene called Apo Lipo Protein E4. Dr. Steven DeKosky, co-au thor o f the article and director ofthe Alzheimer’s Disease Research Cen ter at the University o f Pittsburgh Medical Center, said the interac tion ofthe two genes is linked to the progression o f Alzheimer's disease. The discovery o f the second gene categorizes Alzheim er’ s dis ease as a p o ly g e n ic disease, DeKosky said. U ntil its discovery, the disease was classified as a sin gular disease because only one gene was linked to its cause. "T his w ill be a major finding,” he said. “ It helps us understand Alzheim er’ s as a disease that is prob ably influenced in a variety o f ways, and therefore we can influence it in a variety o f ways with drugs. We think it’ s a breakthrough.” DeKosky said the second gene w ill help doctors better understand the genetic mechanisms that cause A lz h e im e r’ s disease to e ith e r progress or slow down. “ Basically, it puts the geneti cists ahead o f the therapists,” he said. “ We’ 11 probably leam something about Alzheim er’s that can be treat ed with a drug,” he said. N eil Buckholtz, acting associ ate director o f the National Institute on Aging program that funded the research, said the finding’ s signifi cance lies in the future. “ This isn’t a quantum leap for ward, it’s first in a series o f devel-. ojlments toward a treatment o f Alzheim er’ s,” Buckholtz said in a telephone interview. “ It w ill pro vide target genes for drugs devel oped in the future.” He said the new finding makes diagnosis o f the disease more reli able. The institute estimates that 4 m illio n Americans suffer from Alzheim er’ s at a cost o f about $ 100 b illion annually. Alzheim er's disease is a de generative, neurological disorder with symptoms usually beginning between the ages o f 60 and 70. Symptoms include short-term memory loss, impaired judgment and personality changes. People suffering from the disease ultimate ly lose all reasoning abilities and are unable to care for themselves. Shadad b*f» in d K IIs tança ol accaptabta ages lot vaccination T n .s e racotnmandad agas should not be t h o u g h t of as absolute V a ccin , schadulas ate c h a n g e d as new vaccines combinations ol eunent vaccines and indications are licensed (■ ) Previously ununmunized praadolasants/adoiescenis shoUd ba immunized (■)" Those who have not had a documented case ol chicken po< or have not been immunized should receive the vaccine For more specific information parents are encouraged lo contact ibeir pediatrician or local p t * f < health ofliciai y If you don’t have a pediatrician, or don’t know where to go in your community for your child’s vaccinations, the following toll-free Immunization Hotline can help you. Call 1-800-232-2522. Amt-ric jn Ac atlcmv of l*i •dijirit s *h lM M « l u n u s t» C«H wiv ft ( n t H » *i in (to rn M i Thanks to C igna Hrahhf an- for providing program bandages © 1 9 9 5 McDonald's Corporation FC«M CDC-321 Pnnted in the United States of America These materials have been reviewed by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the National Medical Association