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Last Updated: 08/21/08 Index: Aug. 20, 2008 - Aug. 26, 2008 • 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign • Cancer • HIV/AIDS • Prescription Drugs • Research Round-Up • U.S. Health Care OTHER NEWS & COMMENTARY Public Health Links Agency for Health Care Policy and Research American Public Health Association American Cancer Society American Dietetic Association American Heart Association Amnesty International Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Protection Agency Food and Drug Administration Harvard AIDS Institute Harvard Health Publications Human Rights Watch National Cancer Institute National Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Center for Injury Prevention and Control National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Mental Health Nutrition Source (sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition) Occupational Safety and Health Administration Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Susan G. Komen for the Cure UNAIDS UNICEF World Bank World Health Organization Your Cancer Risk (sponsored by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention)  College Presidents Seek Debate On Drinking Age Alex Perry (Associated Press, August 18, 2008) "College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus. The movement called the Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the drinking age. ‘This is a law that is routinely evaded,’ said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization. ‘It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust and unfair and discriminatory.’ Other prominent schools in the group include Syracuse, Tufts, Colgate, Kenyon and Morehouse. But even before the presidents begin the public phase of their efforts, which may include publishing newspaper ads in the coming weeks, they are already facing sharp criticism. Mothers Against Drunk Driving says lowering the drinking age would lead to more fatal car crashes. It accuses the presidents of misrepresenting science and looking for an easy way out of an inconvenient problem. MADD officials are even urging parents to think carefully about the safety of colleges whose presidents have signed on...Both sides agree alcohol abuse by college students is a huge problem. Research has found more than 40 percent of college students reported at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependance. One study has estimated more than 500,000 full-time students at four-year colleges suffer injuries each year related in some way to drinking, and about 1,700 die in such accidents." Full Text See also: Lower Drinking Age Is Criticized (The Washington Post, August 21, 2008) Minnesota: Let's Rethink the Drinking Age (Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul, August 20, 2008) Battle of the Binge Editorial (The Christian Science Monitor, August 21, 2008) Binge Drinking Challenge Editorial (Baltimore Sun, August 20, 2008) _________________________________________________________________________ 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign McCain, Obama Differ on Abortion (Associated Press, August 16, 2008) "Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain differed sharply on abortion Saturday, with McCain saying a baby's human rights begin 'at conception,' while Obama restated his support for legalized abortion…Obama said he would limit abortions in the late stages of pregnancy if there are exceptions for the mother's health. He said he knew that people who consider themselves pro-life will find his stance 'inadequate.'…McCain expressed his anti-abortion stand simply and quickly, saying human rights begin the instant a human egg is fertilized." Related story: Candidates' Abortion Views Not So Simple (The Washington Post, August 20, 2008) Free registration required. Return to Index Cancer Researchers Question Wide Use of HPV Vaccines Elisabeth Rosenthal (The New York Times, August 20, 2008) "Two vaccines against cervical cancer are being widely used without sufficient evidence about whether they are worth their high cost or even whether they will effectively stop women from getting the disease, two articles in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine conclude…In her article, [Dr. Charlotte J. Haug, editor of The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association] points out the vaccines have been studied for a relatively short period -- both were licensed in 2006 and have been studied in clinical trails for at most six and a half years. Researchers have not yet demonstrated how long the immunity will last, or whether eliminating some strains of cancer-causing virus will decrease the body’s natural immunity to other strains." Free registration required. Related stories: Cervical Cancer Shots Less Cost-Effective with Age (Associated Press, August 20, 2008) Drug Makers’ Push Leads to Cancer Vaccines’ Fast Rise (The New York Times, August 19, 2008) Free registration required. Cancer Blogs Become Part of Treatment Neil Munshi (The Boston Globe, August 20, 2008) "Two months after learning she had breast cancer, Jennifer Boyd found herself sitting in the back room of a Newbury Street salon, picking out wigs to replace her thick, sandy-brown hair, stolen in bunches by chemotherapy. She recounts the ordeal, for all the world to read, in a blog…Boyd is one of a growing number of cancer patients turning to the Internet to discuss their disease, keeping friends and family updated, and connecting with other patients, according to oncology social workers and psychologists. Personal blogs, listservs, and sites like CarePages, CaringBridge, and Breast Cancer Stories give patients an outlet to express the emotional turmoil associated with the disease, enabling a virtual catharsis for some." Free registration required. Cancer Jab Linked to Pancreas Disease Louise Hall (The Sydney Morning Herald, August 17, 2008) "The cervical cancer vaccine is under fresh scrutiny after three women were struck down with pancreatitis soon after receiving the injection. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is investigating whether the shot of Gardasil caused the sudden inflammation of the pancreas in the three patients, or whether it was just a coincidence." Genetic Factor Identified in Colorectal Cancer (Reuters, August 15, 2008) "Researchers have identified what they see as the leading cause of inherited colorectal cancer -- a genetic abnormality that makes a person about nine times more likely to get the disease. This trait may explain at least 10 percent and perhaps 15 to 20 percent of colorectal cancer cases, according to Ohio State University's Dr. Albert de la Chapelle, who helped lead the study published in the journal Science yesterday. The researchers said in the future a simple blood test should be able to identify people with the trait so they can be screened regularly to catch colon and rectal cancer early when it is most treatable." Return to Index Prescription Drugs Judge Orders Drug Maker to Provide Experimental Treatment to Terminally Ill Teenager Michael M. Grynbaum (The New York Times, August 20, 2008) "A 16-year-old patient, terminally ill with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, should be allowed to use an experimental drug treatment despite objections from the drug’s developer, a federal judge in Newark ruled on Wednesday. The case, which touches on major ethical issues, is being closely watched by the pharmaceutical industry." Free registration required. Researchers Say Vioxx Study Was Marketing (Associated Press, August 18, 2008) "A 1999 Merck & Co. study of its since-withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, touted to participating doctors and patients as meant to show whether Vioxx caused fewer stomach problems than another drug, was primarily a stealth marketing strategy, researchers report. The true purpose was to get lots of doctors and patients in the habit of using Vioxx just in time for its launch, according to doctors who uncovered internal Merck memos discussing the strategy behind the study, called ADVANTAGE…Drug companies are widely suspected of doing many such 'seeding,' or marketing studies, but there's been no 'smoking gun' proving it before, according to the Annals of Internal Medicine, which published Merck's original report on ADVANTAGE in 2003 and will publish the new report Tuesday." Methadone Rises as a Painkiller with Big Risks Erik Eckholm and Olga Pierce (The New York Times, August 16, 2008) "Methadone, once used mainly in addiction treatment centers to replace heroin, is today being given out by family doctors, osteopaths and nurse practitioners for throbbing backs, joint injuries and a host of other severe pains. A synthetic form of opium, it is cheap and long lasting, a powerful pain reliever that has helped millions. But because it is also abused by thrill seekers and badly prescribed by doctors unfamiliar with its risks, methadone is now the fastest growing cause of narcotic deaths. It is implicated in more than twice as many deaths as heroin, and is rivaling or surpassing the tolls of painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin." Free registration required. Return to Index U.S. Health Care Report Rejects Medicare Boast of Paring Fraud Charles Duhigg (The New York Times, August 20, 2008) "Medicare’s top officials said in 2006 that they had reduced the number of fraudulent and improper claims paid by the agency, keeping billions of dollars out of the hands of people trying to game the system. But according to a confidential draft of a federal inspector general’s report, those claims of success, which earned Medicare wide praise from lawmakers, were misleading…Some lawmakers and Congressional staff members say the irregularities that the inspector general found were tantamount to corruption and raise broader questions about the credibility of other Medicare figures." Free registration required. Massachusetts: 439,000 More Get Health Coverage Kay Lazar (The Boston Globe, August 20, 2008) "Nearly three-quarters of previously uninsured Massachusetts residents now have medical coverage under the state's landmark campaign to extend health insurance to virtually all Bay Staters, according to a report released yesterday by Governor Deval Patrick's administration. Since the program's launch in June 2006, 439,000 more people have enrolled in health insurance, and nearly half of them signed up for private insurance not funded by taxpayers, says the report from the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy. Before 2006, studies had estimated that about 600,000 Massachusetts residents lacked health insurance. The dramatic expansion has spurred a substantial drop in patients seeking routine care in hospital emergency rooms, where treatment is much more expensive. The reduction is already saving the state millions of dollars, the quarterly report said." Free registration required. Lack of Insurance, High Medical Costs Put More in a Bind Sopan Joshi (The Washington Post, August 20, 2008) "Americans are struggling to pay medical bills and are accumulating medical debt at an increasing rate, according to a survey released today. 'A perfect storm of negative economic trends is battering working families across the United States,' said the survey by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that supports independent research on health care…As gas and food prices have soared and real estate values have fallen, the federal minimum wage is now $3 an hour lower, in real terms, than it was 40 years ago, the study said." Free registration required. California Court Puts Gays' Care Over Doctors' Faith Ashley Surdin (The Washington Post, August 19, 2008) "Doctors may not refuse medical treatment to gay men or lesbians for religious reasons, the California Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday. The court ruled that physicians' constitutional right to the free exercise of religion does not exempt businesses that serve the public from following state law that prohibit discrimination on the basis of ual orientation…If a doctor wants to refuse a service because of religious beliefs, the court found, he or she must refuse all patients, or provide a doctor who can provide the service to everyone." Free registration required. Health Benefits Inspire Rush to Marry, or Divorce Kevin Sack (The New York Times, August 18, 2008) "In a country where insurance is out of reach for many, it is not uncommon for couples to marry, or even to divorce, at least partly so one spouse can obtain or maintain health coverage. There is no way to know how often it happens, but lawyers and patient advocacy groups say they see cases regularly. In a poll conducted this spring by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy research group, 7 percent of s said someone in their household had married in the past year to gain access to insurance. The foundation cautions that the number should not be taken literally, but rather as an intriguing indicator that some Americans 'are making major life decisions on the basis of health care concerns.' " Free registration required. Health Care: Sick of It Charles P. Pierce (The Boston Globe, August 17, 2008) "All of the issues in this campaign year seem to involve the fragility of things once taken for granted. Banks are failing. Mortgages seem like the end products of an elaborate three-card monte game. The stock market is diving and taking our 401(k)s with it. All the tectonic plates beneath what we once glibly -- and smugly -- called The American Dream seem to be shifting almost by the hour. But healthcare is the issue that causes the deepest tremors. Psychologically, at least, the well feel as anxious as the sick do, and the concerns of the well insured…differ from the dread of the uninsured only as a matter of degree." Free registration required. A Social Network for Your Doctor, Pharmacist and Insurer Kendra Marr (The Washington Post, August 16, 2008) "Imagine a virtual health clinic: Your lung doctor and heart specialist can pull up your online medical profile and chat, via instant messenger, about your medications. You schedule checkups online, create a wellness journal or even rate your general practitioner. WellNet Healthcare, a Bethesda health management company, is launching the beta version of this social network, Point to Point Healthcare, this month. Since 1994, WellNet has built its business collecting detailed data on employees' medical and pharmacy activity so that companies can better evaluate their corporate health plans...It lets employees create a personal network uniting their insurance claims manager with multiple doctors and pharmacies to better coordinate treatments. An online concierge helps workers find new specialists, and a message system reminds them to pick up prescriptions. Whether it all works remains to be seen." Free registration required. Return to Index HIV/AIDS At Meeting on AIDS, Focus Shifts to Long Haul Lawrence K. Altman (The New York Times, August 18, 2008) "Two years have passed since the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, and the contrast between that meeting and the 17th, which ended here this month, was humbling. In Toronto, the mood was almost giddy, with celebrities like Bill Gates and Bill Clinton drawing huge crowds as they championed the development of H.I.V. vaccines and microbicides. Though the meeting this month had its circuslike elements, the mood was much more sober…The focus here was on the longer haul. There were renewed calls for strong advocacy and financing to sustain gains already made, like promoting more antiretroviral therapy in poorer countries, along with male circumcision and behavior modification." Free registration required. Canada: Clement Questions Ethics of Doctors Who Support Insite (The Globe and Mail, Toronto, August 18, 2008) "Health Minister Tony Clement says he questions the ethics of doctors who support the use of supervised injection sites for drug addicts. Mr. Clement said Vancouver's Insite safe-injection centre has done little to reduce drug overdose deaths because most narcotics are still used in 'back alleys and seedy motels.' The Health Minister said the ethical considerations of safe injection are 'profoundly disturbing.' " Free registration required. AIDS Finds a Hidden Niche in Georgia Craig Schneider (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 17, 2008) "HIV/AIDS has assumed a new face in Georgia. It is younger and more rural, more likely to be black or female. And it is harder to reach with prevention messages, testing and services. Old messages geared to urban, white, gay men simply don’t resonate with many African-American and rural people, advocates say. That worries the advocates." Free registration required. Return to Index Consumer Safety Progress Against Toxins in Toys Takes Small Steps Michael Hawthorne (Chicago Tribune, August 17, 2008) "When a nationwide ban on hormone-disrupting chemicals in soft plastic toys and cosmetics takes effect early next year, it will mark an important turning point in efforts to remove toxic compounds from consumer products. The ban on a group of chemicals known as phthalates is part of a major overhaul of the nation's consumer safety system brokered last month by Congress. It reflects growing concerns among parents and public health advocates that children are absorbing a vast array of harmful substances, sometimes merely by sucking on a rubber duck, drinking from a plastic bottle or playing on treated carpet." Free registration required. CDC: ‘Total Body’ Users Report Illnesses Alison Young (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 17, 2008) "Over the years, a Woodstock company’s fruit-flavored vitamin supplement gained a loyal following. Customers swore it made them healthier and their testimonials persuaded friends and family to take it, too. They never imagined it would be the cause of bizarre and frightening symptoms that stumped their doctors. At least 197 people in a dozen states -- 53 of them in Georgia -- were sickened earlier this year after taking the liquid supplement Total Body Formula. Their hair fell out in clumps, their fingernails fell off. They suffered nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Some had disabling joint pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials." Free registration required. FDA Draft Report: No Risk from BPA in Food Containers Christopher Lee (The Washington Post, August 16, 2008) "A controversial chemical commonly found in can linings, baby bottles and other household products does not pose a health hazard when used in food containers, according to a draft assessment released by the Food and Drug Administration yesterday. The report stands in contrast to more than 100 studies performed by government scientists and university laboratories that have found health concerns associated with bisphenol A (BPA). Some studies have linked the chemical to prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, behavioral disorders such as hyperactivity and reproductive problems in laboratory animals. Exposure to the small amounts of BPA that migrate from the containers into the food they hold are not dangerous to infants or s, the draft said." Free registration required. Return to Index Obesity Massachusetts: Bid to Ban Trans Fat Statewide Gets a Boost Carey Goldberg (The Boston Globe, August 21, 2008) "All of Massachusetts may soon become a trans fat-free zone. The state's public health commissioner responded enthusiastically yesterday to a lawmaker's request that his agency impose a statewide ban on the artery-clogging fat in all restaurant food. Last month, California became the first state to outlaw restaurant use of trans fat, found commonly in doughnuts, french fries, and chicken nuggets. Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge have also passed prohibitions. The Legislature came close to adopting a ban this summer but ran out of time." Free registration required. Calorie Counts on Fast Food Menus? California Law Would Require It Karen Ravn (Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2008) "No one's looking to make you go on a diet. But there's a law in the works in Sacramento that might -- just might -- help you lose weight -- or so says a study released Thursday. Advocates believe such a 'menu-labeling law' could help to halt, or at least slow, the trend that has led to 3 out of 5 Californians being overweight or obese. The new study -- by the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley -- is the latest evidence suggesting they may be right. By the researchers' calculations, if the law were in effect, fast-food customers might, on average, end up weighing nearly 3 pounds less after a year, thanks to having eaten 9,300 fewer calories." Free registration required. Return to Index Research Round-Up Trace Arsenic in Water May Be Linked with Diabetes (Associated Press, August 20, 2008) "A new analysis of government data is the first to link low-level arsenic exposure, possibly from drinking water, with Type 2 diabetes, researchers say. The study's limitations make more research necessary. And public water systems were on their way to meeting tougher U.S. arsenic standards as the data were collected. Still, the analysis of 788 s' medical tests found a nearly fourfold increase in the risk of diabetes in people with low arsenic concentrations in their urine compared to people with even lower levels. Previous research outside the United States has linked high levels of arsenic in drinking water with diabetes. It's the link at low levels that's new. The findings appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association." Treatment Advance for Drug-Resistant Diseases Steve Connor (The Independent, London, August 19, 2008) "A new weapon has been developed in the war against drug-resistant diseases and it promises to result in more effective treatments for many of the most intractable illnesses, ranging from superbug infections to tuberculosis and cancer. US researchers believe they have found a way to overcome the drug resistance that is frequently seen in ovarian cancer patients given the drug Taxol -- a chemotherapy agent that becomes less effective over time. The breakthrough could have wider implications for the many other illnesses where drug resistance is a problem, such as multiply-resistant strains of staphylococcus that result in hospital-acquired infections." New Study Backs Angioplasty Through the Wrist (Associated Press, August 19, 2008) "The best path to a clogged heart may be through the wrist. About a million artery-clearing angioplasties are performed in the United States each year, and the usual route is to thread a tube to the heart through an artery in the groin. Now a major study shows going through the wrist instead can significantly lower the risk of bleeding -- without the discomfort of lying flat for hours while the incision site seals up. Just one in 100 angioplasties is done via the wrist, and the approach isn't for everyone. But Monday's study promises to spur more specialists to use the method." Doctors Make Arm Do Job of Pancreas Todd Ackerman (Houston Chronicle, August 19, 2008) "Doctors at The Methodist Hospital are experimenting with a new treatment for the diseased or injured pancreas in which they remove the organ and implant its insulin-producing cells in the patient's arm or leg. The research, conducted on the first patient a month ago, is part of an ongoing inquiry into how best to prevent diabetes in a person whose pancreas has been removed because of pancreatitis, trauma, or benign or early-stage malignant tumors. The work could also speed up national efforts to use stem cells, the building blocks of tissue, to cure Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes." Free registration required. Stem Cells Cloned from Menstrual Blood Anne McIlroy (The Globe and Mail, Toronto, August 19, 2008) "A team of researchers from Canada and the United States has taken an important step toward harnessing the healing power of menstrual blood. They used stem cells isolated from the menstrual blood of two women and cloned by a San Diego company to save the legs of eight severely injured mice…The findings, reported yesterday in the Journal of Translational Medicine, are preliminary, but offer a glimpse into the potential of stem cells derived from menstrual blood in treating human patients, male and female." Free registration required. Watch Your Mouth: Gums and Teeth Give Clues About What's Going On Inside Your Body Ranit Mishori (The Washington Post, August 19, 2008) "The way to a person's heart is through his stomach, the adage goes. But researchers now think the way to a healthy heart might be through your gums and teeth. Evidence suggests that the healthier they are, the stronger and less disease-prone the heart is. If you don't floss or brush, you might be setting yourself up not just for gum disease but also for heart disease. The link between what's happening in your mouth and in the rest of your body goes further still: Gum disease might be a kind of early warning system, with poor oral health linked to diabetes, kidney disease, preterm labor, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and even certain types of cancer." Free registration required. Bird Flu Hopes from 1918 Victims Oliver Conway (BBC News Online, August 17, 2008) "American scientists found that people who lived through the [deadly 1918 flu pandemic] can still produce antibodies that kill the deadly strain of the H1N1 flu. The study, published in the journal Nature, could help develop emergency treatments for future outbreaks. The Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people." Return to Index  Africa Kenya: Diseases Threaten Refugees (Daily Nation, Kenya, August 17, 2008) "Hundreds of displaced people in the North Rift region are threatened with an outbreak of contagious diseases due to poor hygiene and lack of quality health services. The refugees Sunday protested at the withdrawal of the waiver system in Government-owned health facilities following their relocation to transitional camps four months ago. Some health facilities in the region have also suspended free medical treatment previously enjoyed by post-election violence victims…The Office of Humanitarian Affairs and other agencies operating in the region say in a report that the refugees, especially children and the elderly, are at risk of contracting diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria." Alarm at Rising Rate of Deadly TB in South Africa (The Sunday Times, South Africa, August 17, 2008) "New medical research suggests South Africa is faced with several new strains of dangerous drug-resistant tuberculosis for which there is no known cure. The latest findings suggest that, despite a massive TB control programme, the government is losing the battle against the killer disease, known as XDR-TB (extensively drug-resistant). The number of XDR-TB patients now poses an international health threat and has prompted intervention from the World Health Organisation….One sixth of the world’s XDR-TB cases are now in SA, new figures show, and there are growing concerns that the country may be exporting the epidemic, thereby disrupting disease-control efforts elsewhere." Free registration required. Asia Smoke-Free China a Marathon Challenge (The Seattle Times, August 19, 2008) "'Love China,' says a message on the screen. 'Increase patriotism even more. Love a smoke-free Olympics.' That public-service advertisement was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, targeting TV viewers in China during the Olympics. It's part of a new initiative to cut tobacco use in the country that's home to 350 million smokers and more than a third of the world's cigarette production…In Beijing, a new government directive went into effect May 1 that bans smoking in most indoor areas, such as schools, hospitals, movie theaters and gyms, as well as on public transportation. The directive was intended to ensure a ‘smoke-free Olympics’ but will remain in effect after the Games are over." Free registration required. North America Canada: Accept the Reality of Private Health Care: CMA Chief (The Globe and Mail, Toronto, August 20, 2008) "The natural next step for Canada's health system is allowing more private delivery, which will give patients more choice, and better access to care, the new president of the Canadian Medical Association says. 'My whole career has been about resolving access issues. This is my battle horse,' said Robert Ouellet, who takes over Wednesday as president of the CMA. 'Private delivery is an accepted practice everywhere in the world and it's time Canada accepted this reality.' " Free registration required. Canada: Hospital Stays Shorter for Mentally Ill (The Globe and Mail, Toronto, August 20, 2008) "Hospital stays for psychiatric patients have fallen sharply in recent years, suggesting that people with mental-health problems are being discharged quicker and sicker than ever before, a trend that alarms physicians and consumer advocates. A report released yesterday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information showed there are fewer mental-health patients admitted to hospital per capita than five years ago. For those who do seek treatment, the average stay has plummeted 55 per cent, to 16 days in 2005-06 from 36 days in 2000-01." Free registration required. California Licenses 2 Companies to Offer Gene Services (The New York Times, August 19, 2008) "Two closely watched companies that offer consumers information about their genes have received licenses that will allow them to continue to do business in California, a state official said Tuesday. The licenses, granted to Navigenics and 23andMe, should help defuse a controversy that began in June when the California Department of Public Health sent 'cease and desist' letters to the two companies and 11 others that offer genetic testing directly to consumers…The letters were the most recent sign of concern that regulators at both the state and federal level are becoming increasingly concerned about the accuracy and validity of tests being sold through the Internet." Free registration required. Texas Gov. Rick Perry OK with Teachers, Staff Carrying Guns at Schools (The Dallas Morning News, August 18, 2008) "Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that he supported the Harrold school district policy to allow teachers and staff members to carry guns at school as long as they are adequately trained in gun safety… The governor is a staunch advocate of right-to-carry provisions and has advocated allowing licensed gun owners to carry them into places where they can currently be banned, such as college campuses, churches, bars and private businesses." Free registration required. Return to Index Subscribe to World Health News E-mail: The views expressed by individuals on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of Harvard University, and the selection of linked websites does not necessarily reflect Harvard's endorsement of those sites or of their content. ©2008 Harvard School of Public Health _uacct = "UA-1054145-1";urchinTracker(); |
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