Health Highlights: June 4, 2004

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

FDA Rejects Ill. Petition to Buy Canadian Drugs

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he wasn't surprised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's rejection of his petition to start a pilot program to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.

"Our review indicates that such state pilot projects are not authorized under current law and present added safety concerns," Lester Crawford, the FDA's acting commissioner, wrote in a letter to Blagojevich's office, the Associated Press reported.

The FDA says it's against importing Canadian drugs because it can't guarantee that they're safe.

The Illinois pilot project to buy Canadian prescription drugs for state employees and retirees could save the state $91 million, Blagojevich has said.

He and officials in other states have been trying to persuade the Bush administration to allow importation of Canadian drugs. Many states say such a move would help them save on drug costs.

Blagojevich hopes a citizen's petition delivered last month to the FDA will result in federal approval of importation of Canadian drugs, the AP reported.

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First-Time High in June and July

Insects aren't the only source of major buzz in June and July.

More American teenagers first try marijuana in those two months than at any other time of the year, according to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health report released Friday.

The survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found a 40 percent increase in first-time pot use by youth during June and July compared to the rest of the months.

Each day in those two months, an average of 6,300 teens try marijuana for the first time. The survey also found that the number of new underage drinkers and smokers also increases during the summer months.

"Kids may equate summer with freedom, but for parents, it's when they need to be even more involved in their teens' lives. As soon as they pack up their locker for the year and step out of school, kids are much more likely to try marijuana. By keeping teens busy, knowing who they're with, and making sure they're supervised, parents can help prevent their teen's summer from going to pot," John P. Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, said in a prepared statement.

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School Bans Birthday Cupcakes

Cupcakes have been banned from student birthday celebrations at the Chandler School in Duxbury, Mass.

The traditional treats were outlawed by the Chandler School Council and the Parent Teacher Association because they're concerned that students are eating too much junk food, the Boston Globe reported.

"We love birthdays, but we decided to shift the focus onto the child and not the food," principal and school council co-chairwoman Deborah Zetterberg told the Globe.

Instead of cupcakes, it's proposed that birthday girls and boys get birthday packages. These would include a birthday chair cover placed on the back of the student's chair, a special pencil, and a stick with the school's mascot. Birthday celebrants would also be allowed to wear a sash to mark the occasion.

That, it would seem, is the way the cupcake crumbles.

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House Bill Targets Steroid Precursors

A House bill to ban over-the-counter sales of steroid precursors, which act like steroids in the human body, passed by a vote of 408-3 on Thursday.

The overwhelming approval of the bill is the result of political and public pressure to eliminate the use of performance-enhancing drugs by baseball players and other athletes.

Along with banning over-the-counter sales of steroid precursors, this bill would increase penalties for anyone who makes or distributes anabolic steroids at or near playing fields, stadiums and other sports sites, the Associated Press reported.

"The bill will go a long way to ensure that our nation's athletes and children will not be exposed to these dangerous products," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas).

The U.S. Senate is considering similar legislation.

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Marathon Waits for Boston Patients

Among people living in 15 major American cities, Boston patients have the longest waits to see medical specialists, according to a survey released this week.

The survey, by Texas-based consulting firm Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, found that new patients in Boston have to wait an average of 50 days to see a dermatologist, 45 days to see an obstetrician-gynecologist, and 37 days to get an appointment with a cardiologist.

For those specialists, these were the longest waits of the 15 cities, the Boston Globe reported.

Boston had the second longest wait -- 24 days -- to see an orthopedic surgeon. The longest wait -- 43 days -- was in Los Angeles.

While Boston had the longest overall waits for specialists, patients in Washington, D.C. had the shortest overall waits -- eight to 15 days -- of the cities in the survey.

The reasons for the long waits in Boston aren't clear. Low fees, high malpractice premiums, and the cost of living means that doctors are leaving Massachusetts or refusing to practice in the state, according to the Massachusetts Medical Society.

One expert noted that many Boston doctors work in academic medical centers, where they teach medical students and do research. That leaves less time for looking after patients, the Globe reported.

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Antibiotics Protect People From Meningitis Patients

Anybody who comes into contact with a meningitis patient should take antibiotics because doing so can reduce their risk of catching the disease by 89 percent, say doctors with the UK's Health Protection Agency.

Most people exposed to meningitis patients are already given antibiotics. But there hasn't been clear proof that the antibiotics protect them from meningitis, BBC News Online reported.

The Health Protection Agency doctors reviewed results from five studies and concluded that there's strong evidence to support the practice of giving antibiotics to people in contact with meningitis patients.

In addition, the doctors said their research findings suggest that these antibiotics should be taken by meningitis patients when they're discharged from the hospital. At least 3 percent of discharged patients still carry the virulent meningococcal strain, the doctors found.