Some Sunscreens Not Protect Like in the Advertised

Sunscreen industry has undergone a major overhaul recently. Broad-spectrum sunscreens, namely those that protect against ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation, must be labeled as such, and that sunscreen does not protect against both of them should be recorded, with a warning label on the bottle.

Changes and more have been enacted since the FDA issued new guidance in 2011, but a recent study by Consumer Reports has found that sunscreen SPF may not be honest about the company using the bottle.
Interestingly, not necessarily cheap sunscreen fool consumers. While some of the Target brand and Walmart brand sunscreens tested high, some of the more expensive brands of sunscreen, including Badger unscented lotion SPF 34 and SPF 30 All Terrain AquaSport, fail to protect consumers adequately from UV rays.

The Badger unscented SPF 34 and SPF 30 All Terrain AquaSport cost consumers $ 5.52 and $ 4.33, respectively.

There is good news for buyers sunscreen, too. The Consumer Reports testers saw a dozen broad-spectrum sunscreen and found several brands that offer better protection than expected, including Up & Up (Target) Sport SPF 50 spray and equate (Walmart) Ultra Protection SPF 50 lotion, which topped the charts with offer protection after 80 minutes of sunbathing and water play, as well as from UV rays.

Additionally, if you are 50 users Coppertone Water Babies lotion or Walgreens Sport Continuous Spray SPF 50, you should be good to go.

While 12 sunscreen is not a ton to test and there are certainly other good brands out in the market, it is still interesting to see what brands are doing well and what fell short. I'm sure you do not suspect that Walmart did the best products when you started reading this article. Tested 12 sunscreens for summer 2013 and the July issue of Consumer Reports. With information and avoid dangerous behavior, you can have lots of fun this summer without putting yourself at risk.

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Parents can prevent teen drug use despite doubts

More than one in five parents of teens think what they say has little influence on whether their children using alcohol, drugs or tobacco, according to a report out Friday.

The report, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), said almost one in 10 parents (9.1%) said they did not talk with their children ages 12 to 17 about the dangers of using drugs of alcohol, tobacco or other last year.

The findings are based on SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual national survey of 67,500 Americans age 12 and older.

National survey showed that teens who believed their parents would strongly disapprove of them using materials less likely to try them than their peers, said Peter Delany, director of the Center for Health Statistics and Quality at SAMHSA Behavioral them.

"Every time is a good time to talk with your kids when you have a chance," said Delany.

"But if you do not start talking to your children, before school is out is a very good time.

"In the summer months, especially around the holiday weekend, the kids are more likely to engage with the substance," said Delany.

Children may have more access to substances when they are out of school and in holiday parties, he added.

"Parents need to initiate age-appropriate conversations about these issues with their children at all stages of their development in order to help ensure that their children make the right decisions," said SAMHSA administrator Pamela Hyde.

Conversations about alcohol can change as children get older, said Robert Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD.)

"Initially, it may be very basic information," he said.

"As children get older, we need to talk about the impact on health, academics, relationships, driving and the dangers of alcohol and prescription drugs."

It is also important to talk about family history and genetic predisposition to alcoholism, he added.

Lindsey says parents should listen to their children and take care of their own communication non-verbal like this: "Children learn a lot from watching what you do than what you say."

For more information: SAMHSA has a guide Exploring Adolescent Years: Parent Handbook for Improving Adolescent Health, and the NCADD website has general guidelines for talking to children about alcohol and drugs.

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FDA warns pharma Tennessee tied infection

WASHINGTON (AP) - Public health officials are investigating several reported complications with potentially contaminated drugs made by a specialty pharmacy Tennessee.

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that the investigation involved seven reports of patients who received steroid injections of Main Street Family Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Newbern, Tenn.

Injection contains methylprednisolone acetate, the same drug at the center of last year's deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis. More than 55 people were killed and more than 740 others have been sick after receiving contaminated injections of compounding pharmacies Massachusetts. Steroids are commonly used to treat pain.

The FDA said at least one of the seven cases seems to be a fungal infection. The government recommends doctors stop using sterile drugs distributed by pharmacies.

Main Street Family Pharmacy is a compounding pharmacy, which means a mixture of custom formulations based medicine physician specifications. Compounding pharmacies have long operated in a legal gray area between state and federal regulations. Since the outbreak last year, the FDA has increased inspections of compounding pharmacies across the country, triggering a potentially contaminated drug given state.

A woman contacted at Main Street Family Pharmacy on Friday afternoon could not immediately comment.

In a separate announcement, the North Carolina Department of Health said it is investigating two cases of complications reported by patients who received injections at a clinic in Greenville. State officials said the problems reported to date involves skin infections. There were no reports of meningitis, stroke or death, according to state broadcaster.

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