One of the articles is Dozens of health organizations pledge ‘full support’ for a federal ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars by CNN. The article mentions eight groups, among which are the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, post an ad showing support of the federal ban on menthol in cigarettes and also flavored cigars (Kounang & Christenses, 2023). According to studies, approximately half a million people in the United States die due to smoking. In 2022, the FDA issued a proposal prohibiting tobacco companies from selling mental cigarettes and flavored cigars. Scientists mention that menthol flavor makes people more addicted to smoking. The article mentions that tobacco companies have been manufacturing minority groups with menthol marketing (Kounang & Christenses, 2023). A 2020 study found that among 43% of adults who smoked menthol, 83% were blacks. With the ban on menthol cigarettes, health disparities would be eliminated. It is mentioned that black people face higher death rates of smoking-related conditions, such as lung cancer, than whites. (Kounang & Christenses, 2023). The article mentions that a study conducted in 2022 argues that eliminating menthol cigarettes will save 645,000 lives in 40 years and reduce lung cancer deaths.
Another news article is 2 more companies recall fruit puree pouches over potential lead contamination. The article mentions that the FDA launched an investigation on potential lead-in pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree, primarily for children, due to reports of high illnesses (Associated Press, 2023). Several reports of illnesses have been issued to the FDA from at least five states possibly connected to contaminated puree. Two companies, Schnucks Markets of Sr. Louis and Weis Markets of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, publicized the callback of their cinnamon applesauce products due to high lead levels. WanaBana of Coral Gables, Florida, publicized the lots and expiration dates of its apple cinnamon fruit puree (Associated Press, 2023). FDA mentions that consumption of contaminated products can lead to acute toxicity. The initial investigation began in North Carolina, where four cases of children having elevated blood levels due to the WanaBana product were observed. After several analyses of the products, extreme lead levels were detected (Associated Press, 2023). Heavy metals such as lead can cause brain and nervous system damage in children and also slow growth and development.
The reason for selecting the first article on the ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars is the number of people being impacted and the kind of impact created. Worldwide, people are facing challenges when it comes to smoking, either as an active or passive smoker. High cases of smoking-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer affect many families. Furthermore, in addition to that, many have to face financial challenges due to the cost required in treating these conditions. And as mentioned in the article, smoking death rates are high, which means there are children left without parents or parents left struggling to deal with the loss of their children and partners. I selected the second article as it addresses the harmful things children are taking. Children are very fragile and require great care to have good health, hence good growth. When taking contaminated foods, their health gets damaged, which leads to a poor quality of life. The article addresses the availability of these contaminated products in stores such as Amazon. Parents should be made aware to select carefully what they feed their children.
References
Associated Press. (2023, November 6). 2 more companies recall fruit puree pouches over potential lead contamination. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fda-expands-recall-lead-wanabana-fruit-puree-pouches-rcna123756
Kounang. N., & Christenses. J. (2023, November 5). Dozens of health organizations pledge “full support” for a federal ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/05/health/menthol-flavored-cigar-ban-health-groups-ad/index.html
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