Health Warnings

A news release from Starbucks indicates that 167,000 coffee mugs in the U.S. and Canada are being recalled because of a design defect that makes these mugs a burn hazard.

The release indicates that the handles on Fusion Coffee Mugs can detach without warning, allowing coffee to spill and burn the user. Thus far, Starbucks has received 23 reports of handles breaking off of these mugs - nine of these cases have resulted in minor burns. Read more

A recent report by the associated press warns about the danger of riding escalators while wearing soft-soled clogs.

Here are the highlights from this report:

1. The flexibility and grip of soft-soled clogs can cause them to become entrapped at the top, bottom, and sides of escalators.

2. A four-year old boy in northern Virginia got his clog-clad foot caught in an escalator in August of 2007 at a local mall. His mother was able to pull his foot free, but the nail on his big toe was almost completely torn off, and he experienced heavy bleeding from the injury. Read more

Last week, researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Australia published a study that indicates that some laser printers create as much fine-particle pollution as cigarette smoke. The researchers warn that laser printer-emitted pollution can affect people's lungs in the same way that cigarettes can, making it a legitimate health threat to people who work around active laser printers in poorly ventilated spaces. The researchers also warn that beyond posing a threat to lung health, exposure to laser printer pollution can ultimately increase one's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Read more

On June 10th, 2007, the New York Times published a story about a high school track star who died after overusing an over-the-counter cream that is commonly used to treat sore muscles and joints. The official cause of death was determined by a New York City medical examiner after a two-month investigation.

The athlete died after her body absorbed toxic levels of methyl salicylate, a compound that is found in sports creams like Icy Hot and Bengay. Read more