Drug Approval at the FDA, Childhood Obesity and the War on Bottled Water
Industry analysts characterize the Food and Drug Administration’s drug approval process as especially “conservative.”
An anti-obesity advertising campaign targeted at children generates controversy.
Local government officials across the U.S. and Canada push for bans on bottled water over environmental concerns.
More issues in the news: listen to the CEI Weekly Podcast here.
1. HEALTH
Industry analysts characterize the Food and Drug Administration’s drug approval process as especially “conservative.”
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory Conko on the institutional problems at the FDA.
“Numerous reports over the past 30 years have found problems with FDA’s approval process and post-market drug surveillance programs, and experts have recommended changes to both. Nevertheless, the problems persist. The agency’s judgment and its ability to learn from its own experience or from outside advisors are compromised by its organizational structure and its value system. These problems are compounded by grandstanding politicians, plaintiff attorneys, crusading journalists, and ‘consumer’ groups. Ultimately, like all central planners, FDA faces the fundamental social problems of interest or bias and of dispersed knowledge.’”
2. LEGAL
An anti-obesity advertising campaign targeted at children generates controversy.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Special Projects Counsel Hans Bader on how out of control lawsuits contribute to childhood obesity:
“[Common Good chairman Philip] Howard chronicles the elimination of risky but fun things kids love, like merry-go-rounds, sledding, and high diving-boards. He has noted elsewhere how such sources of childhood fun often draw lottery-sized lawsuits when injuries occur. These fun activities are now being replaced by blander, duller, and safer activities that involve little physical exertion.”
3. ENVIRONMENT
Local government officials across the U.S. and Canada push for bans on bottled water over environmental concerns.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Risk & Environmental Policy Angela Logomasini on the value of bottled water for public health and safety:
“Bottled water is supposedly so ‘wasteful’ that the U.S. Conference of Mayors had to issue a resolution calling on governments to stop buying it. But what do they say when government tap water fails to meet safety standards? Drink bottled water! That is one of the recommendations offered by public officials in Pembroke, Massachusetts, which discovered E. coli bacteria in its water supply. Governments often buy, or seek donations of, large amounts of bottled water to use in such emergencies. And they seek bottled water not only during major weather events. Tap water systems periodically have water quality problems for a variety of reasons that warrant “boil water alerts” and/or distribution of bottled water.”
More issues in the news: listen to the CEI Weekly Podcast here.