Our cigarettes will be 'fire-safe' -- feel better yet?

The nine most frightening words in the English language -- "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help. -- came unbidden to mind Wednesday when I read this press release from the governor's office:

Gov. Jim Doyle today signed legislation requiring cigarettes sold in Wisconsin to be fire-safe. State legislators, firefighters, public health officials, and representatives of the tobacco industry joined Governor Doyle at the Beloit Fire Station for the signing.

“I am pleased to sign a bill that increases public safety by regulating tobacco,” Gov. Doyle said. “This bill will ensure that smokers reduce the risk they pose to themselves and others.”

Assembly Bill 717 requires each company that sells cigarettes in Wisconsin to meet a fire safety performance standard

Fire-safe cigarettes, what's not to like?

Well, for starters, how many times have you heard of fires started by a cigarette? Yes, it happens: According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a research group that provides data for state and federal fire codes -- according to an article in USA Today last year -- "cigarette fires have been the top cause of U.S. fire fatalities for decades, killing tens of thousands of people in the past 30 years." Deaths have declined with falling smoking rates but "cigarette fires still kill 700 to 900 people a year."

Got that? "Tens of thousands over 30 years." "900 a year!" That's the danger we and a number of other states have chosen to confront?

Meanwhile, cigarettes cause lung cancer, which kills more than 160,000 Americans every year. Also cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx, bladder, kidney, cervix and pancreas. Cigarette smoke is the most common cause of emphysema. Toxins in the blood from smoking cigarettes contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and other cardio-vascular diseases. In all, cigarettes are blamed for the deaths of roughly 440,000 Americans every year, says the American Heart Association.

The European Union requires this warning on all cigarette packages: “Tobacco seriously damages health.” Australia's warning includes: "Smoking causes heart disease, Smoking when pregnant harms your baby, and your smoking can harm others.” Canada's warning says, "Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease, Cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease, Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in non-smokers, Cigarettes are addictive, Tobacco use can make you impotent, Don’t poison us, Cigarettes cause mouth diseases.”

Notice how none of them mention that cigarettes can start fires? Must be an oversight.

Yet that's the danger the state of Wisconsin chose to address. Granted, on Jan. 1 the state's tax on cigarettes went up $1 a pack, to $1.77 -- as we play both sides of the cigarette debate: high taxes to discourage smokers while also adding to state coffers.

In the first few months of 2008, cigarette smoking in the state does appear to have dropped, and there were more calls to the Tobacco Quit line. In March Gov. Doyle, who last year pressed for an even higher cigarette tax increase and even for a statewide ban on smoking in all public places, noted: "The intent of the cigarette tax was to help people quit smoking. In the first two months of this year, there were 20,000 calls to the Tobacco Quit Line (1-800-QUIT-NOW), far more than in the past.

Well, we didn't get a statewide smoking ban, but now our cigarettes will be fire-safe! Can't you just feel the good health washing over you?

Read More...

Summary only...

Air Quality Watch covers most of state -- again

Yet another Air Quality Watch has been issued for large parts of Wisconsin -- 59 counties including Racine -- by the Department of Natural Resources. The last Watch was on Feb. 23, and lasted for three days.

(Meanwhile, wasn't it barely a week ago, on March 2 to be exact, that Gov. Doyle was assuring us that Wisconsin air quality is just fine? In fact, the headline in the Wisconsin State Journal read unambiguously: Doyle: The air's just fine).

Like the earlier Watch, this one is being blamed on elevated levels of fine particles in the air, composed of dust, soot, liquid droplets and smoke particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller coming from power plants, factories, vehicle exhaust and outdoor fires.

The Air Quality Index is forecast to reach the orange level, which is considered unhealthy for people in sensitive groups, including those with heart or lung disease, asthma, older adults and children.

Lasting until midnight Wednesday, the Watch covers the following counties: Adams, Barron, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond Du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago and Wood.

Our earlier story is HERE.

Read More...

Summary only...

Lake Michigan dilutes drugs in Racine's water

This story is out today about pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies around the country. Racine doesn't have to worry about being drugged by its drinking water, said Keith Haas, general manager of Racine's water and wastewater utilities.

The reason: Lake Michigan is really, really big. Like cities around the country, it's all but certain there are traces of drugs in Racine's drinking water, Haas said. But because our water comes from Lake Michigan, the traces amount to a minuscule portion of our water supply.

Cities that pull their water from rivers or smaller bodies have a bigger problem. There is less water to dilute the drugs, which means there's a greater concentration of pharmaceuticals coming out of the tap.

Haas said he knew the AP story was coming out about drugs in U.S.'s water supply. "It's something we've been aware of and concerned about," he said.

"Our fresh water source is a large source of clean drinking water," Haas said. "If we were pulling water out of ... a river or small body, our concentrations would be be greater."

Read More...

Summary only...

Kohl, Feingold concerned about our aphrodisiac

I must have led a sheltered life, because when I saw the news release today from Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl about their efforts to protect Wisconsin ginseng, my first reaction was: Whaaaaa? I grew up in New York, and everybody there knows ginseng comes from Chinatown.

Well, once again, I am wrong.

Feingold and Kohl report that 90 percent of the ginseng grown in the U.S. comes from Wisconsin. They further claim that Wisconsin ginseng "is widely heralded as the premier ginseng in the world," a claim I'll have to accept on their word, since I've never ginsenged.

The issue here is whether the Senate Agriculture Committee will keep a requirement in the Senate Farm Bill that raw ginseng root must be labeled to identify the country where it was harvested.

Kohl and Feingold say the high demand for ginseng has led smugglers from Canada and Asia to label their ginseng, "which often has traces of pesticides and other chemicals not approved in the U.S.," as Wisconsin-grown, misleading consumers and undercutting domestic ginseng growers. A country-of-harvest label would help consumers and producers by ensuring that consumers who pay a premium for Wisconsin-grown ginseng are getting what they pay for and that the higher prices find their way back to the pockets of hard-working American ginseng farmers, they say.

"This ginseng labeling provision is crucial for Wisconsin ginseng farmers and consumers who lose when foreign farmers free-load off of Wisconsin ginseng’s unparalleled reputation," Feingold said. “The final Farm Bill must maintain this simple provision to ensure that consumers looking for Wisconsin ginseng are getting the real thing and not a knock-off."

The ginseng provision in the Senate version of the Farm Bill was based on Kohl and Feingold's Ginseng Harvest Labeling Act of 2007.

But what is ginseng, anyway, and what's it used for? And what's the difference between Wisconsin-grown and China-grown ginseng? Ah, so! Once again, we turn to the Internets for answers. All the smutty sex talk you were hoping for is after the break.

HowStuffWorks.com reports:

Ginseng is another long-touted aphrodisiac. Recently, the Journal of Urology reported, "the Mean International Index of Erectile Function scores were significantly higher in patients treated with Korean red ginseng than in those who received placebo." In animal studies, ingesting ginseng doesn't appear to have an immediate effect on testosterone levels, but the ginseng may trigger other mechanisms that lead to increased performance and libido.

(They also debunk the value of Rhino horn.)

WebMD says:

An herb very commonly associated with love is ginseng. Some say ginseng is an aphrodisiac because it actually looks like the human body. (The word ginseng even means "man root.") Studies have reported sexual response in animals who have been given ginseng, but there is no evidence to date of ginseng having any effect on humans.

(But at least it's better than Yohimbe and Spanish Fly, both of which have nasty side-effects like paralysis and death.)

The Food and Drug Administration is also less than encouraging:

Many ancient peoples believed in the so-called "law of similarity," reasoning that an object resembling genitalia may possess sexual powers. Ginseng, rhinoceros horn, and oysters are three classical examples.

The word ginseng means "man root," and the plant's reputation as an aphrodisiac probably arises from its marked similarity to the human body. Ginseng has been looked on as an invigorating and rejuvenating agent for centuries in China, Tibet, Korea, Indochina, and India. The root may have a mild stimulant action, like coffee. There have been some experiments reporting a sexual response in animals treated with ginseng, but there is no evidence that ginseng has an effect on human sexuality.

(Coffee?)

So, exactly what is the purpose of ginseng? We turn to the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin -- which makes clear the difference between our ginseng and Asia's, while at the same time ignoring totally any purported sexual side-effects. (Didn't they get the memo?) It's all about temperature, donchaknow:

"There are two types of ginseng. Often both types are taken for a health balancing effect. Consumers take American ginseng for a cooling effect and Asian ginseng for a heating effect."

Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng): This ginseng is white root and generally used to cool the body. It is an adaptogen (a substance that helps the body adapt to stress) that cools and soothes. American ginseng is produced in Wisconsin.

Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng): This warms the body. This root is red and is typically grown in China and Korea. It is used to increase stimulation and warm the body.

There you have it. Just be sure to check the label. And be careful out there. (One of these days, when they're least expecting it, we'll ask Kohl and Feingold what they use ginseng for...)

Read More...

Summary only...

Alternative Health Care: Community health center looks to get the word out

There's a good chance you haven't heard of the Racine Area Community Health Center.

First, it's new. The community health center opened a year ago in the Northwestern Medical Center at 2405 Northwestern Ave. as an alternative source of health care and dental care for people on Medicaid or limited insurance. It's run by the same organization that operates the 9-year-old Beloit Area Community Health Center, which has 65 employees and sees 8,000 patients a year. Racine's center staffs two doctors (general practitioners), a podiatrist, two dentists, a hygienist, bilingual support staff and day care, with plans to include mental health services, children's doctors, and more.

Community health centers are common around the country. In all, 1,100 centers in the U.S. see 17 million patients a year, which makes them the No. 1 health care provider in the country. Kenosha and Milwaukee both run community health centers, and now Racine is trying to get one going, too.

But you probably haven't heard about it. Here's the second reason: it's tough to break into the health care market. Even a clinic aimed at providing affordable health care is competing against organizations like Aurora and Wheaton-Franciscan, plus established nonprofits like the Racine County Healthcare Network. Advertising costs money and word-of-mouth travels slow.

Racine's community health center is trying to fill the gap between a provider like Wheaton-Franciscan and a provider like the Healthcare Network. It's for people with some money, but not enough to cover medical bills. Not that it's cheap. The minimum fee to see a doctor at the health care center is $50, in part because the clinic hasn't received a federal waiver to treat uninsured patients. However, the fees, which can reach $65 depending on income, are much cheaper than going to the emergency room and paying full price to see a doctor. That can range into the hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, even if you have insurance.

"Emergency rooms are the most costly way to use health care," said Richard Perry, executive director of Racine's community health center. "We're trying to keep people out of the emergency rooms."

Perry started the Beloit clinic nine years ago as the sole employee with no patients. He's not even a doctor. But he spent 20 years in the Navy working in health care, and got his first clinic going in Beloit's poorest neighborhoods.

He's hit some snags in Racine. A big one is recruiting doctors to work at the center. The Northwestern Health Center is located outside of an under-served census tract, which means the center doesn't quality for a federal program that allows new doctors to work there in exchange for relief on their student loans. But the center has still been able to hire two doctors - Dr. Mike Mangold and Dr. Alan Kanter - and a podiatrist - Michael Kokat - who are seeing about 400 patients at the moment.

The dental clinic has more patients. With most private dentists unwilling to see Medicaid patients (the reimbursement rate is low and many Medicaid patients often cancel appointments), the health center is a reliable alternative.

"We could have 10 chairs going and not be able to meet the need," said Perry during a recent tour of the center's dental clinic. The clinic has three working chairs and two full-time dentists, Jack Fisher and Heather Campbell.

The third reason you haven't heard of the community health center is because we don't realize there are alternatives to health care available. Places like the Healthcare Network and Perry's center are increasingly becoming the backbone of a national health insurance system that is leaving millions behind. While Aurora and Wheaton-Franciscan spend billions of dollars rebuilding hospitals to appeal to rich baby boomers who will soon need services, they're shutting out a growing number of people who can't afford to walk through a doctor's door.

"We're not the answer in universal health care, but we have a significant role," Perry said.

The Bush Administration agrees - sort of. The number of health care centers have doubled during his seven years in office, but the funding for the clinics remains static. That means less to go around for everyone, a common theme in our health care system.

What's frustrating to Perry is the needs are so great. Not only do people need doctors and dentists, they need counselors, day care providers, eye doctors, prevention programs, prenatal support and countless other services that are available to a select few, and withheld from people on the edge.

What's hopeful is a community health care center surrounds itself with people who understand that need. The majority of its board of directors has to be patients of the center, and the staff at the center have to represent the community they're serving. That means a lot of minority employees and bilingual employees, Perry said.

"Almost by mandate we have to mirror the population we serve," Perry said. "We are very culturally diverse."

Read More...

Summary only...

STD cases in Racine County nearly double since 1997

Young adults between 15 and 19 years old remain the most likely age group in Racine County to contract a sexually transmitted disease, according to state data.

Last year, 541 young adults between 15 and 19 reported getting chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or genital herpes.

The second most common age group to contract an STD was 20 to 24 year olds with 482 reported cases, followed by 25-29 year olds with 218 cases. The numbers continue to fall as ages increase, though adults 50 and older reported 20 cases of STDs last year.

Women were more than twice as likely as men to get an STD, according to the data. In 2006, women reported 1,007 cases of STDs, compared to 474 cases for men. The disparity is partly due to women going to the doctor more often for prenatal exams and annual checkups.

The 1,481 reported cases of STDs last year was 16 more than 2005, but nearly double the total from 10 years ago. The increase, however, could be because more people are being tested and treated for STDs than in the past.

Blacks had the highest rates of infection among racial groups, accounting for nearly half of all cases of STD in the county. If Hispanics are added in, minorities accounted for 55 percent of all reported cases in the county.

Chlamydia was the most common STD with 991 cases, followed by gonorrhea with 334 cases, genital herpes with 149 cases and syphilis with 7 cases.

Here's a look at the reported number of STD cases since 1997

Read More...

Summary only...