This morning, just as I was about to start writing my weekly Duty to Warn column, I glanced through the Duluth News-Tribune and couldn't help but notice a full-page ad on page A3. The ad was titled "Rallying to Address Opioid Addiction". The color-printed ad likely cost well over a thousand dollars and was paid for by an entity that I had never heard of before called "Rx ALI Minnesota" (Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative). The group was apparently a fresh new "alliance" of "concerned" corporate entities that were suddenly interested in the opioid crisis that is affecting all portions of America. Or maybe the interest of some of the major alliance entities sponsoring the ad had some ulterior motives, such as trying to obscure the guilt that they should be acknowledging in actually causing the addiction and suicidality crises in...

The anti-vaccination trend has landed next to HIV and Ebola as a key global threat, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Experts say "vaccine hesitancy" risks reversing progress in fighting preventable diseases. Although various diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, such as diphtheria and meningitis, were on WHO's health threat lists before, in 2019 the organization included "vaccine hesitancy." Among other top 10 threats are HIV/AIDS, the global influenza pandemic, along with the spread of the deadly Ebola virus and Dengue fever, as well as air pollution, lack of primary care and noncommunicable diseases like diabetes. Vaccination remains one of the most "cost-effective" ways to avoid infection, WHO stated, and refusing it directly threatens to cancel out the progress made in fighting preventable diseases. The WHO listed "complacency" and "lack of confidence" among the key reasons why people...

Australian nurses and midwives who dare to speak out against the dangers of vaccinations on social media or in person will be prosecuted, the Australian government has warned, urging members of the public to report vaccine skeptics to the authorities. Medical professionals face a jail sentence of 10 years for expressing doubt about the effectiveness of vaccinations or urging further studies into vaccine safety. Opponents of the new law claim free speech and scientific integrity is under attack in Australia by a government that has been bought and paid for by Big Pharma. "With no exceptions we expect all registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives to use the best available evidence in making practice decisions. This includes providing information to the public about public health issues," Chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Dr. Lynette Cusack said...

Palliative care patients will be treated with the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms in a bid to reduce their anxiety during end of life care. The first of 30 patients in Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital trial will be treated with psilocybin in April after a year-long battle to have the study approved by the ethics committee, as well as state and federal authorities. Patients will be given a single dose of the psychedelic drug, which stimulates feelings of euphoria and is believed to be able to ease anxiety, fear and depression for up to six months. Applicants will be screened, requiring a state government permit to take the medication, and will be closely monitored by two clinicians on the 'dose day' while the initial high wears-off. ...

Current guidelines for sun exposure are unhealthy and unscientific, controversial new research suggests - and quite possibly even racist. How did we get it so wrong? These are dark days for supplements. Although they are a $30-plus billion market in the United States alone, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, beta-carotene, glucosamine, chondroitin, and fish oil have now flopped in study after study. If there was one supplement that seemed sure to survive the rigorous tests, it was vitamin D. People with low levels of vitamin D in their blood have significantly higher rates of virtually every disease and disorder you can think of: cancer, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, heart attack, stroke, depression, cognitive impairment, autoimmune conditions, and more. The vitamin is required for calcium absorption and is thus essential for bone health, but as evidence mounted that lower levels...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 11% of American children between the ages of 4 and 17 have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as of 2011. However, if you ask the American Psychiatric Association (APA), they maintain that even though only 5% of American children suffer from the disorder, the diagnosis is actually given to around 15% of American children. This number has been steadily rising, jumping from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007. Big Pharma has played a significant role in manufacturing the ADHD epidemic in the U.S., convincing parents and doctors that ADHD is a common problem amongst children and one that should be medicated. However, many countries disagree with the American stance on ADHD, so much so that they have entirely different structures for defining, diagnosing, and treating...