School Stress Leading Reason for Teen Drug Use: Survey
Coping with school-related stress and pressures is the main reason U.S. teens give for using drugs, according to a Partnership for a Drug-Free America survey that appears to confirm that drugs are increasingly used by teens as a way to solve problems rather than for fun.
The survey of 6,511 teens found that 73 percent reported school stress as the chief reason for drug use, United Press International reported. However, only seven percent of parents believe teens use drugs to cope with stress.
Overall use of marijuana, Ecstasy, inhalants, methamphetamine, alcohol and cigarettes has declined, according to the survey.
It also found that about 20 percent of teens have abused painkillers and other prescription medicines, and that 41 percent think prescription drug abuse is safer than illegal drug use, UPI reported.
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Few U.S. Mothers Breast-feed For 6 Months
About 75 percent of new American mothers try breast-feeding, but many quit before their babies are 6 months old, says a Brigham Young University study that found only 36 percent of babies are breast-fed through six months.
The analysis of national data on more than 60,000 children found that mothers with higher levels of education and income were most likely to breast-feed for more than six months, The New York Times reported. Breast-feeding was also more likely to be done by married women, those in western states, Hispanic women and those born in other countries.
The likelihood of long-term breast-feeding decreased among women who were returning to work, smokers, and those living in the Northeast, said the study, published in the August issue of the Journal of Human Lactation.
It also found lower levels of long-term breast-feeding among low-income women who took part in the subsidized Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food, milk and formula to mothers and young children, the Times reported.
"Breast-feeding promotion programs encourage women to start but don't provide the support to continue," said study co-author Renata Forste.
Breast-feeding is recommended through the first year of life, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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California Considers Bisphenol A Restrictions
California lawmakers are considering what could be the first statewide restrictions on bisphenol A, a chemical used in infant formula cans and plastic baby bottles. Under the bill, all food containers or products designed for children age 3 years and younger could contain only trace amounts of the chemical, which can disrupt the hormonal system, the Associated Press reported.
The bill was approved earlier this year by the state Senate and is awaiting an Assembly vote. It's not clear whether Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would sign the bill.
While scientists have differing opinions about the danger posed by bisphenol A, consumer concern has pushed some retailers and governments to take action. At least 11 other states have considered bills to restrict the chemical and Congress is considering banning it in children's products. Wal-Mart Stores and Toys "R" Us have said they planned to stop selling baby bottles made with bisphenol A, the AP reported.
The chemical industry, food processors, and grocery retailers argue that the chemical has been used safely for more than 50 years.
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Protein Receptor Images May Lead to Better Leukemia Treatments
The first 3-D images of a protein receptor in white blood cells that can lead to leukemia when it malfunctions have been created by Australian researchers. The achievement may lead to improved drug treatments for leukemia and other diseases such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers said.
The new images show the precise appearance of the receptor -- which interacts with a hormone called GM-CSF -- and exactly how it works, Agence France Presse reported.
The research about this protein receptor -- associated with some of the most aggressive and deadly forms of leukemia -- is published in the journal Cell.
"At the moment, many leukemias are treated with chemotherapy that destroys the diseased blood cells and bone marrows as well as normal cells," Professor Micheal Parker, of St. Vincent's Institute in Melbourne, told AFP. "We hope this discovery will lead to targeted therapies, more specific to the malfunctioning cells seen in diseases such as leukemia."
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Scientists Identify New Species of Mouth Bacteria
A new species of bacteria that may be associated with tooth decay and gum disease has been identified by researchers at King's College London in Great Britain. The discovery of the new bacteria Prevotella histicola could help improve understanding of changes in bacterial activity that cause oral health problems.
The Prevotella family of bacteria is associated with various oral diseases, as well as infections in other parts of the body.
The King's College team found three strains of the new Prevotella bacteria species inside the flesh lining of the mouth. The new species was identified in both healthy tissue and inside oral cancer cells, BBC News reported.
More than 600 species of bacteria live in the human mouth and many of them haven't been identified. It's important to find unrecognized species of mouth bacteria, especially those that may cause disease, Professor Hugh Pennington, an emeritus professor of microbiology at Aberdeen University, told BBC News.
The study was published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
