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U.S. nuclear tests still haunt Marshall Islands

Last Updated: 2004-09-23 10:17:04 -0400 (Reuters Health)

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Fifty years after a string of U.S. nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, the western Pacific republic's people are still suffering lingering health problems, President Kessai Note said on Wednesday.

"We urge the United States government to fully address the issue of adequate compensation for populations affected by the nuclear testing program, and to fulfill its responsibilities for the safe resettlement of displaced populations," Note told the U.N. General Assembly.

The islands, a grouping of 31 atolls, were occupied by Allied forces in 1944, included in the U.N. Trust Territory of the Pacific in 1947 and placed under U.S. administration that same year. They became an independent republic in 1986.

Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 23 atomic and hydrogen bombs on Bikini and Enewetak atolls.

One of the blasts, which took place in 1954 and was dubbed Bravo, "was 1,000 times more powerful than Hiroshima and its fallout spread radioactive debris across the neighboring islands," Note said.

"Today, many of our people continue to suffer from long-term health effects while others remain displaced from their homes because of ongoing contamination," he said.

Copyright © 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Sex enhancement pills fall short: consumer group

Last Updated: 2004-09-23 10:06:34 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Maggie Fox

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pro-Erex. Big Daddy. Suregasm. There is little doubt what these supplements are promising, but the evidence that they actually can enlarge a man's penis or enhance sexual performance falls short, consumer advocates said on Wednesday.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, best known for taking the fun out of fast food and ice cream by revealing how unhealthy such treats can be, is now taking on the nonprescription sex supplement industry.

The CSPI filed a complaint on Wednesday with the Federal Trade Commission saying one company, Cincinnati-based Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, had crossed the line in television ads touting its supplement Enzyte.

"We urge the Federal Trade Commission to immediately enjoin the national television advertisements of Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, for the herbal supplement Enzyte," the complaint, faxed to the FTC, reads.

"The FTC requires that advertising claims for dietary supplements, including those based on testimonials of users, 'be backed by sound, scientific evidence.' Berkeley, however, has conceded that it has no scientific studies of Enzyte substantiating any of Berkeley's claims."

A spokesman for Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals was not immediately available.

Under U.S. law, supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in the way prescription drugs are, and makers have much leeway in designing products and in writing vaguely worded claims about what they do.

They may not, however, lie outright, without risking FTC action, although in reality the agency cannot check on every product.

LITTLE EVIDENCE

The CSPI says Enzyte, while unusual in its relatively innocuous choice of name, is a fairly typical example of sexual enhancement supplements.

"It contains tiny amounts of 16 ingredients including familiar herbs like ginkgo and ginseng, the minerals copper and zinc...a vitamin (niacin), and an amino acid (arginine)," the CSPI said.

According to the company's Web site, it also contains horny goat weed extract and saw palmetto, the latter usually sold as a prostate supplement.

The CSPI says tests show that some of the ingredients may or may not work to enhance sexual performance.

"One study suggests that 5,000 mg daily of arginine may lead to a subjective improvement in sexual function," it said.

"However, as Enzyte's label says each tablet contains 1,494 mg of its proprietary blend (all ingredients other than niacin, zinc, and copper), it is not possible that Enzyte contains the amounts of those ingredients that may be necessary to increase libido or sexual performance, if, indeed, those ingredients provide a benefit at any dose," the complaint adds.

"The Food and Drug Administration and the FTC have been lax when it comes to policing these so-called sex supplements," said David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the nonprofit CSPI.

"Until they act, consumers are best advised to drag any unsolicited e-mails from 'Mr. Gigantic' or 'Mr. Thick' from the inbox to the trash."

CSPI spokesman Jeff Cronin said despite the absence of evidence that such supplements work, people apparently are buying them.

"There's a lot of advertising out there. Advertising is expensive so they must be selling enough to make the ads profitable," he said.

Many of the ads appear on late-night talk shows that command premium rates.

"Enzyte is more successful subtracting from the male wallet than it is adding to the male organ," Schardt said.

Copyright © 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

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