The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes so they aren’t so addictive. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced the move Friday. The federal agency has had the power since 2009 to cut nicotine levels but hasn’t done so. The FDA plans to seek comments as it develops new regulations. Gottlieb also said…
Doping Drug Gives No Edge to Serious Cyclists in Study
The blood booster at the heart of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal does not improve real-world cycling performance, according to the most rigorous study yet of how the protein EPO affects athletes. The results, published Thursday in the journal Lancet Haematology , may convince some to pay more attention to the harms of supposed performance-enhancing drugs by…
Surgeon General Report: ‘Addiction Is Not a Character Flaw’
In what may be his last significant act as President Barack Obama’s surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthyreleased a report Thursday calling for a major cultural shift in the way Americans view drug and alcohol addiction. The report, “Facing Addiction in America,” details the toll addiction takes on the nation – 78 people die each day from an…
Prisons Fight Opioids with $1,000 Injection: Does it Work?
U.S. prisons are experimenting with a high-priced monthly injection that could help addicted inmates stay off opioids after they are released, but skeptics question its effectiveness and say the manufacturer has aggressively marketed an unproven drug to corrections officials. A single shot of Vivitrol, given in the buttocks, lasts for four weeks and eliminates the…