Donna Barker Communications

Here are some stats from a new book called “What Canadians Think about Almost Everything”

• 7 out of 10 Canadians are confident that within their life-time scientists will find a cure for cancer.
• 68% think that , within the next ten years, cancer will become something you live with, rather than something you die from.
• 9 in 10 Canadians would like to know more about latest advances in cancer research.

And here is a comment about this data from Dr. Ralph Faggotter, an Australian General Practioner who is on the management team of the organization Healthy Skepticism. These are comments he made on a private listerv I am a member of. He’s given me permission to share his opinion. Continue Reading »

When I worked at one of Canada’s leading environmental organizations, the application of something called the “precautionary principle” was part of daily life.

The concept is simple: if you have enough scientific evidence to suggest that an action may cause harm to the environment or human health, but not enough evidence to assert the connection, you act in a way that protects the environment or human health, even if it has a negative impact on economic health.

(For definitions from a variety of places, type the following into Google – define: precautionary principle). Continue Reading »

So, at our school last year, the teachers set the goal of raising $500 for cancer research in the name of Terry Fox. A mighty feat, one would think, at an inner-city school with just 100 kids. Well, the rascals did it – and then some, raising almost $1,500 for the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research. So this year the fundraising target has been set at $2,000, with the promise that if the kids succeed, the principal will allow one of the Grade 5 kids to shave his head (the principal’s head). My son, who is in the Grade 4/5 split class says that they all agree the principal will be sporting a mohawk if they succeed. Of course, the kids want to make the target. Continue Reading »

Golly – use among women aged 20-44 rose 113% between 2000 and 2004. How on earth were all those ditzy broads coping before they were diagnosed and treated for their ditziness? And how did it happen that all of a sudden, women in that age group started dropping brain cells to the degree that they needed pills to help them remember to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel while applying lip stick? Continue Reading »

What the hell is this teaching moment all about?

In January 2004, Dr. Andrew Mosholder, an epidemiologist in the FDA’s Office of Drug Safety, analysed 22 clinical trials of nine antidepressants and uncovered some damning evidence that indicated that SSRI antidepressants used by children caused a doubling in suicide attempts over kids who were given a placebo (sugar pill).

These studies had been done over the course of many years and then buried by the drug-makers. Dr. Mosholder blew the lid off the data which lead to the FDA holding meetings with industry, parents whose kids had been on SSRIs and killed themselves, doctors and others. Continue Reading »

Here’s the quiz: how much sugar would you have to eat each week to make it to 150 pounds of the white stuff in a year?

Hmmm…150 pounds in 365 days is just under half-a-pound a day…or, one teaspoon of sugar every hour of every day for the whole year. Eeech!

Of course, one can of soda will give you several of your hours’ teaspoons. A chocolate bar a few more. So you can sleep sugar-free.

And that’s the average – some Americans eat much less sugar which means…others eat much more.

Pass the sugar-free potato chips, please.