| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | PRODUCT SAFETY, Uncategorized

Mouthwashes with Alcohol Could Increase Risk of Cancer

A University of MelbourneStudy found that use of mouthwash containing alcohol could increase the risk of oral cancer. Professor Michael McCullough and co-author Dr. Camile Farah concluded that there is now sufficient evidence to prove that ethanol in mouthwash allows cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth.

The Study involved 3,210 people, which found that daily mouthwash use was a significant risk factor for head and neck cancer-whether or not they used alcohol or tobacco. The effects of mouthwash were worst in smokers, who saw a 900% increased risk of oral cancer. Those who consumed alcohol saw a 500% increase.

On cue, a spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson Ltd. UK, the manufacturer of the popular “Listerine” brand stated: “There is no scientific evidence to support an association between the use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes, such as Listerine, and an increased risk of oral cancer.” As always, our position is to avoid panic, but err on the side of caution and seek out an alcohol free mouthwash at a health food store.

Although there is no way to definitively confirm the results of this new study, one thing is certain. Historically, the larger multi-national corporations that operate throughout the globe have a history of denial and cover-up when the safety of their products has been questioned. Their enormous wealth allows them to finance opposing scientific studies, some of which the corporations author themselves. They will then pay for the signature of a so-called expert, who decides to compromise their principles to chase the almighty dollar, or at least, the currency of their liking.

Erring on the side of caution can never be opposed, even by the most skeptical of critics.

| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | PHARMACEUTICAL NELIGENCE, Uncategorized

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can Shrink the Brain

The Journal of Neurology has reported that common forms of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can shrink the brains of post-menopausal women. Researchers performed brain scans on 1,400 women aged 71 to 89 who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative, A major American Study.

The Study found that women who were being administered HRT had smaller brain volumes in two key areas than those given a placebo. Brain volume was lower in the frontal lobe and in the hippocampus. Both of these areas of the brain contribute to thinking and memory skills. Shrinkage of the hippocampus is a known risk factor for dementia.

This Study was ironically renowned for finding a link between long term HRT use and increased stroke risk. The question that must be examined is whether the Pharmaceutical Industry is going to continue to be allowed to obtain approval of their products without greater scrutiny.

The conventional wisdom is that the American F.D.A., which regulates the Pharmaceutical Industry, has the most stringent and arduous approval process on the planet. However, conventional wisdom appears to be nothing more than American Corporate propaganda as the overwhelming number of drugs that have been recalled or that have caused significant health problems has been staggering over the past ten years.

Too, often, we learn of the politicizing of the F.D.A., which is given its marching orders to treat the pharmaceutical industry with kid gloves. Former industry personnel end up working for the agency that is supposed to regulate the very same industry they just left, and are going to return to after this government stint.

We are supposed to have a government for the people, not for the corporations. Hopefully, the pendulum will be shifting back.

| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | AUTO ACCIDENTS, INSURANCE COVERAGE, Uncategorized

South Florida Citizens To Be Charged Fees For Automobile Accidents

In a misguided attempt to find other sources of revenue, cities throughout South Florida are actually considering charging a fee to those citizens who are involved in auto accidents within their city limits. This month, the town of Davie will likely vote whether to bill non-residents who are involved in automobile accidents in their city.

The Florida Sun Sentinel reports that Davie is defending the fee as “a way of recouping tax dollars that are spent on non-residents”, town spokesman Braulio Rosa said. Davie is considering an average charge of $840.00. Miramar, Plantation and Southwest Ranches are still undecided as to what to charge, if anything, and under what circumstances.

There are those that are worried that this will start a fee war between the cities. The city of Weston has already threatened to respond by passing a similar ordinance if their residents are charged. The American Civil Liberties Union may challenge these ordinances on constitutional grounds. Brandon Herslan, a spokesman for the ACLU of Florida, stated that by singling out non-residents, proposals being considered in Davie and Miramar “raise questions about equal and fair treatment of citizens” and could spur lawsuits.

The cities are responding by saying they will bill the driver’s insurance companies. Michael Connolly, a spokesman for State Farm Insurance, the state’s largest private insurer, responded by saying automobile insurance premiums will rise.

This issue represents a microcosm of the problems that have been caused by the cuts in our state’s budget. These cuts have left local governments in a desperate search to make up the lost funds that they were once receiving from the state. Compounding this problem is the decrease in the local tax base caused by the pop of the real estate bubble and the significant increase in foreclosures.

However, by creating these quasi tax schemes, the citizens of all cities are the ones that are harmed. With the state and national economy causing widespread problems for everyone, it is time for the cities to slash even more fat out of their budgets.

Cities should retain independent companies to analyze their budgets and recommend reasonable cuts that will force the cities to operate more efficiently. Disparate tax schemes, like the one discussed in this article, are not the answer and may in fact be unconstitutional depending on how they are framed.

| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | CELL PHONE USE, Uncategorized

Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?

On July 23, 2008, the head of a prominent cancer research institute issued a stunning warning to his faculty and staff:

Limit Cell Phone Use because of the possible risk of cancer.

The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, is convinced that while the date is still equivocal and incomplete, there is enough evidence of a possible link between cell phone use and cancer.

Dr. Herberman has concluded that it often takes too long to get answers from science and rather than wait for a definitive study to come out, it is better to err on the side of caution, especially when it comes to children. Studies have proven that children’s developing brains are more susceptible to electromagnetic waves, which penetrate deeper into a child’s brain. Because of this, Dr. Herberman has recommended to parents that children should use cell phones only for emergencies.

He also recommends that adults should keep the phone away from their head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset. We have been recommending to our clients that they purchase devices that limit the radiation emitted trough cell phones. These devices are often the size of a penny, fit over the cell phone ear piece and reduce radiation by as much as 97 percent. There are several companies that sell these devices and one that we recommend that you go to is www.waveshield.com. (No one associated with our law firm has any relationship, financial or otherwise with anyone associated with these companies that sell these devices.)

This article will not discuss the number of studies that have found no link between cell phone use and cancer. While we acknowledge that these studies exist, some of them are not recent and they appear to run contrary to an international trend over the last several years where cancer researchers in several foreign nations have also found a link between cell phone use and cancer. In fact, many of these countries have already issued warnings similar to Dr. Herberman.

The point of this latest warning and this article is it is the first credible finding by a renowned American Cancer Institute and it merely concludes that while the data is inconclusive, it is better to err on the side of caution and use all safety remedies at your disposal. No one, in their right mind, who does not have an agenda, can argue with the logic in this warning. We are not, and I repeat, NOT attempting to procure litigation cases against the Cell Phone Industry and their various companies. We are merely using this opportunity to educate our friends and neighbors and advise them to exercise caution, especially when it comes to their beautiful children.

| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | AUTO ACCIDENTS, Uncategorized

Miami Firefighter loses life in Automobile Accident

A Miami firefighter lost his life in a fatal car crash in Miami on Friday Night.
Investigators stated that two teenage girls in a Red Honda were traveling Northbound on NW 24th Avenue, at which time they ran a stop sign causing the collision and the firefighter’s Wrongful Death.

Roberto Garcia, the firefighter, was a 20 year veteran of the Miami Fire Dept. who moved up to the rank of Captain. His passenger and he were out celebrating and were returning home when this tragedy occurred. Ironically, rescue personnel from Captain Garcia’s own station responded to the call. “We found one of our own”, said Ignatius Carroll, a Miami-Fire Rescue spokesman.

Captain Garcia’s passenger received only minor injuries. The two girls, whose names have been withheld, were taken to the Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition. Our Condolences go out to the family of Captain Garcia.

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| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | AUTO ACCIDENTS, Uncategorized

Miami, Florida Police Officer in Serious Automobile Accident

A Miami Police Officer was involved in a serious automobile accident on Wednesday with a 19 year old pre-med student who also lives in Miami. The student was taken to Kendall Medical Center with nine life threatening Injuries. There is some controversy surrounding the accident involving whether or not the officer had his sirens on.

Investigators say that the officer was responding to a call and had his lights and sirens engaged at the time of the impact with the female student. However, witnesses to the collision have a different version. Orestes Perdigon, the student’s father stated that, “He had no sirens on, nothing at all.” Apparently, the student had the right of way as the officer may have drove through a stop sign just before impact.

This Miami incident follows a similar occurrence just days ago, when a Middle School Student was badly injured after being struck by an Orlando Police Officer in pursuit of a criminal. The officer was chasing another vehicle who ran a red light when suddenly, the Officer collided with a Volkswagen which careened into the 11 year old student who was waiting to cross the street. According to one woman, the officer was exceeding the speed limit. “It looked like it was a chase to me”, said Celine Gasco, 33 who was stopped in her car at an intersection when the collision took place. Once again, as with the incident in Miami, Orlando investigators appear to be claiming, despite the eyewitness testimony, that the officer did nothing wrong.

Law Enforcement Agencies must provide better training to their officers on the issue of pursuing Criminals. While most Police Departments, like the Orlando Police Department, have a policy which only allows a high speed chase when the officer is in pursuit of a violent felon, Police Officers often violate the local traffic laws and injure innocent citizens. These Officers are performing their job in a vacuum because they are not weighing the interests of the innocent bystander when they pursue non-violent criminals.

Under Florida law, this constitutes Negligence and subjects the Police Department and the Police Officer to a lawsuit so that the injured bystander can collect for their Injuries. It would be in the public’s best interest if some of these officers were to spend less time in the gym and more time in the library. While a majority of police officers are fine individuals who act professionally while doing their job, there is a percentage of officers who are unable to see the big picture and often do not have their priorities in order. This often leads to incidents like the ones we just saw in Miami and Orlando where innocent bystanders suffer Injuries as a result of the Officer’s Negligence.