Tag: toxicology
What are the risks of touching fentanyl?
There is the widespread belief that simply touching fentanyl can be fatal. This assumption isn't supported by science or evidence.
Did the “Benadryl Challenge” Kill an Oklahoma Teen?
Did a dangerous new TikTok "challenge" result in the death of a 15-year-old teenager from Oklahoma? Probably not, but Benadryl is still a bad drug and parents should discuss the dangers of social media with their young children.
The TikTok “Benadryl Challenge” is demonstrating how toxic Benadryl can be
Even without the risk of overdose, there are good reasons to avoid Benadryl entirely.
The Vaccine Guide: Cherry picked studies and deceptive highlighting in the service of antivaccine pseudoscience
The Vaccine Guide is a website and a book by Ashley Everly, a "toxicology consultant" for Health Freedom Idaho. It's been making the rounds in the antivaccine underbelly of social media lately and basically consists of screenshots of cherry picked studies, articles, and web pages, with Everly's highlighting passages to provide an antivaccine spin. It's clever in a way, but also rather...
Increase In Supplement Poisonings
Current supplement regulations in the US (and many countries) are overtly anti-consumer and pro-industry, and are the direct result of aggressive industry lobbying and having powerful senators in their pocket. The rise in calls to poison control for supplements are just one manifestation of this situation.
In the Spirit of Choosing Wisely
Oh, loneliness and cheeseburgers are a dangerous mix. – Comic Book Guy Same can be said of viral syndromes and Thanksgiving. My brain has been in an interferon-induced haze for the last week that is not lifting anytime soon. Tell me about the rabbits, George. But no excuses. I have been reading the works of Chuck Wendig over at Terrible Minds. (Really,...
Energy Drinks are Risky, Especially for Kids
Should children drink energy drinks? No, it's a terrible idea.
Acetaminophen: Still the pain reliever you should trust?
Recently ProPublica and This American Life (TAL) released the results of an investigation into acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. TAL devoted an entire episode to the issue, and ProPublica has published several stories on acetaminophen’s toxicity, how it can cause harm, and how it is regulated. The investigation summarizes the key “Takeaways” as follows: 150 Americans die per year from accidental...
Bisphenol A in Plastics – Should We Worry?
Is Bisphenol A a health hazard? We can't say for certain, but more research will help us know either way.