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'How will I cope?' First, by reaching out *
My patient looked out her window in the early autumn evening thinking that life was not only good, but couldn't be better.
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'I'm in Grade 8,' shouts the boy with the bottle *
Russia's renown for alcohol abuse is greater than ever-- now even kids are knocking 'em back, MARK MacKINNON reports. With a Canadian-backed treatment centre admitting children as young as 8, public officials blame more than the great vodka tradition. Those beer ads work a little too well.
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'Reasonable' is in the eye of beholder *
Yardstick used by judges to assess behaviour is badly flawed, book says.
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A moment to remember *
Scientists believe you recall something when brain cells storing information about it all vibrate in sync with electro-chemical impulses. ANNE McILROY reports on research into how memory works.
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A radical approach to aid drug addicts *
SATURDAY SPECIAL: Vancouver gambles on injection clinics to reduce health risks
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Anger linked to higher stroke risk in men, but not women *
Hotheaded men who explode with anger seem to be at greater risk of having a stroke or dying, new research shows. Their risk is even greater than men who are simply stressed-out Type A personalities.
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Antidepressants found ineffective on teenagers *
Widely used antidepressant drugs prescribed to tens of thousands of Canadian teens and children are barely more effective than placebos in treating adolescent depression, according to a leading Canadian expert in the field.
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Antidepressants used by children need warnings, expert panel says *
An expert panel has recommended against barring the use of a new and controversial class of antidepressants in children, but has urged Health Canada to require drug makers to include new warnings in materials provided to doctors.
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B.C safe-injection site wins police immunity *
North America's first sanctioned injection site for illegal drug-users could be up and running by September, after Health Canada yesterday granted the proposed venue an unprecedented exemption from police action.
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Barb Tarbox, 42: Anti-smoking crusader dies *
Cancer victim Barb Tarbox spent her last months travelling across Canada to deliver a powerful anti-smoking message to thousands of teenagers.
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Beauty and the beast *
Margo Wilson is not much in love with how the media have portrayed research she and husband Martin Daly recently reported.
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Booze harms all kids *
The research on FASD is relatively new and sketchy. My adopted son who is now six, was abandoned at birth, so we have no family history to colour our hopes and expectations of him.
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BPD: Bordering on chaos *
They phone in the middle of the night, make endless demands and can be violent, so it's no wonder, writes ANNE McILROY, that people with borderline personality disorder are so difficult to treat.
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BPD: Sinned against *
Your Focus article unwittingly says more about the nature of so-called mental illness than any morbid examination of the human psyche could do (Bordering On Chaos -- Jan. 17).
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Breast-cancer risk may rise with use of antidepressants *
Taking antidepressant drugs could lead to a "modest" increase in the risk of developing breast cancer, a Canadian study suggests.
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Bringing down the wall *
1001 Queen St. W. is poised for a redesign that will transform it into a pioneering model for mental health care, writes SARAH MILROY. Instead of building a hospital, they want to build a neighbourhood.
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Canada's new marijuana law will hurt U.S. problem: official *
The United States is being inundated with potent marijuana from Canada, and the problem would be exacerbated if Ottawa decriminalized the drug, the U.S. drug czar said Friday.
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Canadians smoke most in middle age *
The number of Canadians lighting up may have dropped since the days when there was a pack of cigarettes in the pocket or purse of every second Canadian, but one thing hasn't changed — those who do smoke tend to smoke the most during middle age.
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Candidate-screening process riles mental-health advocates *
Mental-health advocates demanded an apology from Prime Minister Paul Martin yesterday for the Liberal Party's move to quiz potential candidates about their mental-health history.
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Canucks fans seized by depression *
As odd as it may sound, scores of devoted Canucks fans are suffering varying -- though serious -- symptoms of depression, ever since their beloved Canucks hockey team was knocked out of the quarter-finals in what was basically a one-goal series that ran to the maximum seven games.
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Childhood Memory: What's the first thing you recall? *
If you think you can remember being born, think again. You need to have a sense of self before memories become permanent. STEPHEN STRAUSS reports
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Collateral damage of a drug war *
When it comes to the "war on drugs," Canada's stance is not unlike its position on the war in Iraq: We're not the United States. Our government supports needle exchange, has recommended the legalization of marijuana, and is allowing the first trial use of prescription heroin in North America.
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Committee favours prison needle exchange *
The Commons Health Committee has come out in favour of needle-exchange programs for drug users within federal prisons in an effort to curb high rates of HIV and hepatitis C infection among inmates.
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Concussions found to cause depression *
A whack on the head that results in a sport concussion does emotional as well as physical damage, according to research done at the University of Toronto.
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Confidential drug survey to get 'inside scoop' from Vancouver youth *
Vancouver Coastal Health's innovative approach encourages open, honest participation -- plus a $20 gift card for Future Shop, London Drugs or Famous Players offered as incentive for participation.
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David Adams Richards: Virtuoso of inebriation **** 1/2
In close to 20 novels, David Adams Richards has created a rich cast of outsiders, many of whom struggle with addiction. He talks to SANDRA MARTIN about the seductive lure of drinking and smoking, and the love of writing that helped him overcome his own demons
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Depression commonly untreated: report *
Major depression is common in Canada but largely untreated, a new report from Statistics Canada suggests
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Depression under-treated, study finds *
An estimated two million Canadians have chronic depression and the debilitating condition may be under-treated, a study suggests. It found that fatigue, lack of energy and poor sleep continued to plague many patients despite the use of antidepressants.
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Do video games breed violence? *
Violent video games have a much more damaging effect on children than parents would like to believe, leading them to perform poorly in school, argue with teachers, condone aggression and get into physical fights with their peers, according to a series of new studies.
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Doctor Earle's diagnosis *
Singer Steve Earle, no stranger to rehab himself, has a few prescriptions for an ailing America, ROBERT EVERETT-GREEN writes
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Doctors' offices raided in Rush Limbaugh case *
Investigators who raided the offices of Rush Limbaugh's doctors said in search warrants filed yesterday said that the conservative radio commentator engaged in illegal drug use and "doctor shopping" for prescription painkillers.
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Ecstasy use down 25 per cent among teens *
The use of Ecstasy among U.S. teenagers has dropped 25 per cent in the past two years, a decrease that translates into an additional 770,000 teens rejecting the once-trendy drug, a new study says.
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Engaging in forgetful behaviour *
A neuroscientist believes his research provides physical evidence that repressed memories may be real. ANNE McILROY reports.
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Feeling like a fraud *
'Impostor syndrome' leaves many high achievers convinced they're scamming everyone about their skills and will be unmasked-- evidence to the contrary be damned, SUSAN PINKER writes.
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Friday the 13th myths and legends *
Today, some people will be so paralyzed with fear they simply won't get out of bed. Others will steadfastly refuse to fly on an airplane, buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip. It's Friday the 13th, and they're freaked out. Are YOU?
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Good girls do *
School counsellors, researchers and teenagers themselves say that girls as young as 12 and 13 are performing oral sex -- not just the class 'bad girls,' but students from every walk of life. They don't consider it real sex, but an act almost as normal as acne and cafeteria gossip. In today's oversexed consumer culture, reports SARA WILSON, popularity commands a high price.
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Governments fund study of cocaine use: CBC *
The federal and provincial governments have contributed close to $700,000 for a series of studies at McGill University in which a psychiatry professor is offering people $500 to use cocaine, the CBC reported last night.
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Happy Father's Day *
It may not qualify as rocket science, but new research out of the United States suggests that dads fare less well on Father's Day than moms on Mother's Day. Nonetheless, stoic fathers end up happier than mothers with what they do get.
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Health charter to get nod *
Dozens of leaders from Canada's business community are expected to endorse today a charter dealing with mental health and addiction.
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Heavy-drinking Britons pay price in money, health *
Visit the centre of any British town or city on a Friday night as the pubs close and the scene will be the same -- hordes of young men who have had too much to drink fighting among themselves or with the nearest lamppost.
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Help for psychopaths? *
Having successfully trained healthy volunteers and paralyzed patients to control their brain waves, Dr. Niels Birbaumer began wondering if he might be able to help psychopaths.
It is not an obvious next step, until you consider that people who learn how to control their brain waves are actually directing an increased flow of blood to specific areas of the brain. That's what Dr. Birbaumer found when he used neuroimaging equipment to take pictures of the brains of his patients at work.
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Heroin's new killing fields *
The Taliban falls and the opium poppy rises. SHAWN BLORE visits the Tajik-Afghan border, where the fierce Russian anti-drug squad this week made its biggest seizure yet
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High anxiety *
Nervousness, panic and shyness are now part of the most-diagnosed group of mental illnesses -- and drug companies just happen to have an array of products to treat them. Is marketing the tail wagging this dog? ANNE McILROY investigates how anxiety became the new depression.
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How thin is too thin? *
Lara Flynn Boyle's rake-thin frame alarms even the most die-hard fashion fan, but don't doubt for an instant that thin isn't in, DEBORAH FULSANG says
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Imprisoned physicist allowed to refuse medication *
A brilliant physicist who has spent four years in a pyschiatric institution rather than submit to forcible medication has won his bid to refuse drug treatment.
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Insomnia in kids linked to later drug use *
Young children with sleep problems are more likely to grow up into teens who drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and use illegal drugs, a new study has found.
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Is there a cure for 'superpower syndrome'? *
For decades, psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton has been analyzing the mental dynamics of world conflict and crisis. Now, he's put the White House on the couch, and Bush loyalists won't like his diagnosis.
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January 24: Most depressing day of the year . . .? *
January 24 has been delared "the most depressing day of the year," according to a Welsh psychologist's calculations.
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JFK and the culture of dread *
The trauma of Kennedy's assassination still echoes through our books, movies and dreams, JAMES ADAMS writes.
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Kids do get depressed, and need properly tested drugs *
Last year in Canada, 450,000 children and adolescents saw a doctor for depression; three-quarters of them were prescribed drugs.
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Killer culture: Viruses in the Movies *
The virus as a metaphor infected our popular culture long before SARS and mad cow hit the headlines. But this time there is no cure, writes LIAM LACEY
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Laughing the pain away *
Being mentally ill is the only prerequisite for taking the Comedy Courage course, which teaches people how to be standup comics. Who says the talking cure is dead? ALEXANDRA GILL asks.
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Let's blast video violence *
As more violent games are linked to adolescent aggression, parents alone can't tackle the problem, says psychologist DOUGLAS GENTILE.
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Losing their way -- when teens become trouble *
'I should have been firmer." What parent has not said this? Or more likely, what mom, since they're the ones more often who question their methods, doubt their successes and bear the family load for the seeming failure of their children to weather the stormy passage into adulthood.
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Many helping hands make less smoke *
I went through withdrawal slowly. Now it's over and it's done. I'm a non-smoker, I hope, for the rest of a long and healthy life.
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Martin cuts mental-health query *
Form for potential candidates reviewed to remove, revise intrusive questions.
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Math predicts marriage outcome *
Whether a married couple stay together has less to do with good chemistry than it does with solid mathematics, a new study says.
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Mea culpa: We marketers helped make your kids fat *
Marketing techniques could aid the battle against obesity, say professors KARL MOORE and LAURETTE DUBÉ
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Men struck dumb by beauty *
Research has finally proven what we already knew: Beautiful women make men stupid.
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Mental-health question went too far, PM says *
Prime Minister Paul Martin says the Liberal Party made an "unfortunate mistake" when it put out a questionnaire that asked potential candidates about their mental-health histories.
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Mentally ill often go without help, Statscan says *
More than 2.6 million Canadians suffered from mental illness or dependence on drugs or alcohol during the past year, according to Statistics Canada data. But only about a third of those suffering from the conditions received professional help, the research reveals.
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Monitor antidepressants used by young, MD says *
Prescription drug experts called on Health Canada yesterday to be far more vigilant in monitoring a huge increase in physician prescriptions of antidepressant drugs to children and teenagers.
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Move to decriminalize pot draws criticism *
Saying that "most Canadians" believe that marijuana laws are outdated, the government on Tuesday unveiled legislation that will reduce penalties for possessing small amounts of the drug. Below certain quantities, possession will no longer be treated as a criminal offence.
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Much-Needed Resources for Unique Families *
Canadian publishing house Groundwork Press is publishing books that it knows many families will be happy to have in hand. And how does it know this?
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New Chapter in the Mystery of Norma Jean: Her own words *
Whether Monroe died by her own hand has been debated and dissected by books, documentaries, conspiracy theorists, and Hollywood and Washington insiders alike for years.
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Nicotine's good side *
Studies suggest the substance can help with Parkinson's, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's, but researchers are in no way recommending that you take up smoking. SIMON SMITH reports
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Opinion: What are you smoking, Canada? *
The issue of decriminalizing marijuana is first and foremost about safeguarding kids and Canada should be attentive to the threat that marijuana poses to youth.
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Ottawa may ease tobacco ad ban *
Impact of losing Montreal Grand Prix spurs government to revisit legislation
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Ottawa warns of suicide risk for teens on anti-depressants *
Mounting concerns over the safety of prescribing a new generation of anti-depressants to children and teenagers has prompted Health Canada to issue a rare public warning to reconsider their use because the popular drugs may actually increase the risk of suicide.
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Painkiller addiction a problem on Cape Breton *
Nova Scotia's deputy minister of health admits some people in Cape Breton are struggling with addictions to powerful painkillers, such as oxycontin.
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Paul Newman disturbed by Princeton beer binge *
Paul Newman hopes to end a Princeton University tradition named after him in which students attempt to drink a case of 24 beers at the rate of one an hour on April 24.
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Peace of mind for the keepers of the peace *
Retreats in Edmonton and Calgary help officers whose lives are in crisis.
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Province fights workers' charge hospital made them sick *
For 11 months, Duncan MacIntyre has suffered soaring headaches, dizziness, tremors, vertigo and fatigue so extreme he spent most of last summer in bed.
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Psychological effects of SARS strong, study says *
While 42 Canadians have died of SARS since March, countless more continue to feel the psychological effects of the new pneumonia-like disease.
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Race politics and Emma's fate *
The day they took baby Emma into custody, they found her sucking on a piece of crack. She was a year old. Emma had a lousy start in life. Her mother, an 18-year-old from the Squamish Nation in British Columbia, was an alcohol and drug addict.
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Rate of mental illness higher in Canadian Forces *
It's true, depressingly true: There is no life like it.
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Repetitive strains break down our bodies *
Here is a litmus test for anyone over the age of say, 30. At any social or professional gathering, announce you have this horrible neck/shoulder/back ache that just won't go away.
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Risk of suicide higher among ailing seniors, new research shows *
Having common medical conditions such as heart disease, emphysema and incontinence can markedly increase the likelihood that seniors will commit suicide, a new Canadian study reveals.
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Safe drug-use site saves lives, study says *
Operators of a medically supervised heroin-injection trial in Australia say the results of its first major evaluation should encourage supporters of a proposed similar trial in Canada.
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Schizophrenia linked to flu, study shows *
A new study adds more evidence to a body of research that suggests the children of some women who get the flu while pregnant are at higher risk of developing schizophrenia.
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Science looks at taming golf's yips *
Bob Jensen's nickname is "No Way" — appropriate when he stands over a one-foot putt under pressure.
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Seeing behind the quirks *
The mentally ill on Toronto's downtown streets trust Gordon Singer for one simple reason: He's been there.
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Sex-offender treatment queried *
Jail programs had little effect on whether freed inmates re-offended, new study shows.
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Shocking the unshockable: what to say if you're concerned about your tween and sex *
Last week's story about how some 12-year-old girls are servicing their male classmates made many parents anxious. But as ALANNA MITCHELL writes, this generation is uniquely positioned to advise its children.
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Sick of your husband? -- Japan reports syndrome *
Though after-retirement stress is a common problem in most developed countries as husbands and wives try to balance relationships in their twilight years, analysts say Japan has become extraordinary for myriad reasons.
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Signs of untreated depression *
I'm 48 years old. In January, 2002, I had a heart attack. I survived, and days later had a quadruple bypass procedure. Again, I survived.It took the remainder of the year to convalesce.
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Sister Elaine MacInnes: Zen and the art of prison reform *
Sister Elaine MacInnes is a spiritual curiosity: A Catholic nun-turned-Buddhist who is helping inmates around the world find peace and contentment, reports DAVID STONEHOUSE
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Smokers get hooked quickly, study says *
Those first few drags may be the deadliest: Nicotine is such a powerful drug that teenagers can become addicted to it after smoking just one or two cigarettes, according to a groundbreaking study.
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Smoking in movies influences teens: U.S. study *
Youngsters who watch movies in which actors smoke a lot are three times more likely to take up the habit than those exposed to less smoking on-screen, a new study of American adolescents suggests.
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Spanking parents may be unaware of force *
Every about-to-be-spanked child who has heard a parent piously pronounce "this hurts me more than it hurts you" can today reply, "Not according to modern science, it doesn't."
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Stress linked to obesity in school-age children *
British researchers have found a new explanation for soaring childhood obesity rates: stress.
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Study slams anti-depressant research *
Report finds 'disturbing shortcomings' in earlier trials on drugs for kids.
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Suicidal tendencies: Holden Caulfield was tougher than you think *
Young adults with suicidal tendencies may be stronger and much more resilient than most of us believe.
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Teen girls more prone to depression, study says *
One in four older teenage girls will suffer at least one major depressive episode within the next four years and there is a strong correlation between depression and smoking, a new study by researchers at the University of Alberta has found.
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The case of the crazy professor *
Jack Nicholson, I think, was the worst news for sufferers of mental illness in the past 50 years. As the charming lunatic in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, he helped persuade an entire generation that deranged people are romantic figures who are often punished for being non-conformists. Let them alone! Underneath, they're a lot less crazy than the horrible Nurse Ratched.
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The crushing cost of fear *
Phobias affect more Canadians than heart disease or diabetes. Like most disorders, they don't stay home when sufferers go to work.
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The deck is stacked . . . against us *
It's not enough to preach 'responsible gambling,' says recovering compulsive gambler DOUG LITTLE
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The Most Violent People on Earth *
Teenagers are the usual targets of efforts to prevent violence and delinquency. But as ERIN ANDERSSEN and ANNE McILROY report, science has discovered that human viciousness actually peaks in toddlers. Luckily, two-year-olds can't do much harm. But if you don't help the worst cases by then, you might never be able to help them at all.
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The nintendonitis generation feels PC pain *
Addicted to video games and the Web, children are showing symptoms of injury.
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The parent trap *
The tale of the "tennis dad" accused of poisoning his teenage son's opponents in France is so extreme it might seem irrelevant to most people's lives.
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The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids -- Families: Please excuse the mess *
There's a reason teenagers sometimes seem crazy, writes MICHAEL VALPY. Underneath that baseball cap, there's a brain that's still under construction
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The U.S. is addicted to war on drugs *
When it comes to drugs, the White House is singing loud and clear: Blame Canada. But many Americans are singing a different tune: Praise Canada.
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The year of living statistically *
It's May, at the height of the SARS panic in Toronto, when the hum of the mantras is first heard. People are dropping like flies, the number of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome is ballooning, some idiot religious cult is disobeying the quarantine rules because God says don't bother, the virus is said to be able to live for 24 hours on inanimate objects -- when suddenly, just like that, everything gets calm again.
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This Bud ISN'T for You: Fingerprinting technology could identify marijuana *
New tool would track movement of pot destined for illicit markets, scientists say
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To be or not to be? That is the cliché *
In the wake of Spalding Gray's sudden disappearance, REBECCA CALDWELL examines the notion of the tormented writer.
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Tom Cruise promotes War of Words (without ever mentioning War of Worlds) *
Scientologist says psychiatric drugs are unnecessary; doctors counter by describing worried calls from patients.
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Toronto going to pot *
Toronto police will no longer lay charges for simple possession of marijuana until the law is clarified by either the courts or the federal government.
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Toronto's new suicide bridge *
An expensive barrier was built to stop people jumping off Bloor Street's infamous 'bridge of death' -- so now they leap from the Leaside Bridge instead
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Toxic drug causes lasting damage to brain *
The first time Caitlin used crystal methamphetamine, she marvelled at how alert -- even brave -- she grew, especially when night fell. At 13, she was fending for herself on the streets of a tough suburban Vancouver neighbourhood. The drug chased off hunger too and made the damp West Coast chill endurable.
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UK Killer MD could have been stopped *
A family doctor who is believed to have killed more than 200 of his patients would not have been free to poison his last three victims if police had investigated properly, an official inquiry ruled Monday.
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US vows to support global anti-smoking treaty *
The United States said it would support a global anti-smoking treaty fully at this week's world health meeting, startling observers by dropping its objections to the pact, which included concern about banning advertising.
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Vancouver injection clinic opens for addicts *
With the kind of hype normally reserved for a Hollywood movie premiere, Vancouver has opened North America's first legal shooting gallery for drug addicts.
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Wallflowers born, not made *
The urge to shy away from unfamiliar faces and situations may be a trait people have throughout their lives, a new study suggests.
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Wanna bet? Odds are, we're all responsible *
Who's to blame when gamblers get into trouble? The onus is on the individual, but governments and the industry must play a part, says JON KELLY
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What is it with so many children today? *
What is it with so many children today? Sullen and surly, they ignore their elders and live to be with their peers. Two Vancouver specialists have a theory, but grownups won't like it, ALANNA MITCHELL reports. They believe the parental bond is being broken, with harrowing results.
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When tennis dads lose control *
Parents have good intentions, but watching their children play turns them into completely different people. 'They become irrational,' renowned coach Nick Bollettieri tells JONATHAN FOWLIE
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Why some haunts haunt you *
Air currents and electromagnetic fields blamed for strange aura of spooky places
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Why women live longer: It's behaviour, not biology *
Canadian women outlive their male counterparts, but if you scratch below the surface, the situation isn't quite so rosy: Women suffer far more physical disabilities and more mental illness, and they are far more likely to live in pain and poverty, a new report says.
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Women run double risk of lung cancer *
Female smokers are twice as likely to develop lung cancer as their male counterparts, according to a new study.
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Workplace health: No safety in the numbers *
Although disability claims are down, psychological problems in the workplace have become 'a growth industry,' reports KATHERINE HARDING
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Young and shunned in Canada *
With 50,000 young people on the street in Canada, film director Daniel Cross thought it time to show what life is like for squeegee kids, REBECCA CALDWELL writes
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Secondary Sites:
A beer-drinking nation — with higher spirits *
New alcohol sales statistics released Wednesday show Canadians remain true to the proud tradition of being a domestic beer-drinking nation. We've just developed a taste for coolers and drinks from around the globe as well.
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B.C. fatality sparks drunk-driving debate *
Parents mull how to protect their teens after daughter's birthday turns tragic
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Beyond the Crazy House: Changing the Future of Madness -- This way madness lies *
Psychiatric survivor Pat Capponi has successfully rebuilt her life despite a mental-health system that sees patients as diseases and not as people.
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Beyond the Mozart Effect *
Listening to Beethoven's Ninth won't make you smarter, writes SUSAN PINKER, but new research suggests music lessons help high-risk children in other ways.
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Bullies and the Bullied: Closer than they appear *
They are the kids the teachers tend to ignore because they don't make any noise. The ones you might see on the playground, hovering at the edge of the crowd, as if they wish they could join in but aren't sure how. They are easy pickings for the classroom bully.
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Canada joins global pact against use of tobacco *
Amid cheers and clapping, representatives of more than 190 countries approved the world's first public health treaty yesterday in Geneva. It is aimed at controlling and diminishing tobacco use.
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Children of divorce suffer when parent moves, study says *
Children of divorced parents who move away are more likely to suffer from long-term mental and health effects than those whose parents don't relocate, a new study suggests.
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Consciousness: A User's Guide -- Consciousness confronts itself *
Know thyself!" is the ancient Delphic command that Socrates adopted into the heart of Western philosophy. It is answered these days by countless books on consciousness, for we are conscious beings. Of these books, Adam Zeman's must be among the most thorough -- and the most readable.
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Don't Bogart those police dollars *
Decriminalizing marijuana will free up resources to fight real crime, says crime analyst SAMUEL PORTEOUS
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Drug sites: worth a try *
The safe-injection site for heroin and cocaine users that opened in Vancouver this week is an important step toward treating addictions as primarily a medical problem, rather than a legal one.
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Dutch make pot a prescription drug *
Pharmacies to sell medical marijuana to the chronically ill in 'historic step'
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Dyslexia treatable, new program shows *
After three weeks, reading was improved, brain activity resembled usual patterns
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Eminem's ex pleads not guilty *
The former wife of Grammy-winning rapper Eminem pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a drug charge and two driving violations.
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EU commits $1-billion to battle against disease *
The international fight against the world's most vicious diseases received a major boost yesterday when the European Union and France both promised major new donations to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
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Exam stress and the cruellest month of the year *
Exam stress is getting worse for students, writes CAROLINE ALPHONSO...but relief may be just a stick of gum away...
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Fat: the next tobacco *
Kraft's decision this week to become more calorie-conscious shouldn't have come as such a big surprise, ALANNA MITCHELL reports. The health campaigner who cost the big cigarette companies billions has turned his attention to what's on the menu. The battle is on
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Giving a graceless okay to medical marijuana *
Like a recalcitrant teenager ordered to do her homework or lose her TV privileges, Health Minister Anne McLellan has waited until the last possible moment to make medical marijuana available to Canadians, as directed by the courts.
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Health Canada dope stinks, patients say *
Cannabis emptor: Medical marijuana called disgusting, weak and ineffective
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Higher risk of dementia linked to HRT *
Post-menopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's as those who do not, according to new research. The combination of estrogen and progestin also increases the risk of women suffering from stroke, a related study found.
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Hussein: He may be a tyrant, but he loves his art *
When Saddam Hussein went to ground, he forgot to take his collection of fantasy-themed paintings. The cache probably won't make its way to the Louvre, but they say a lot about the man, SARAH MILROY writes...
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Ireland curbing liquor ads *
Ireland will restrict advertisements and wants to slap health warnings on alcoholic beverages in hopes of deterring heavy drinking by teenagers, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern announced Monday.
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Karoshi: There must be better ways to get a break *
Did you know that 317 Japanese died last year due to overwork? They call it karoshi. This corrosive factoid made me drop my spoon in my bran flakes and catapulted me into the contemplation of things I really shouldn't have been thinking about before going to work.
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Lies are written all over your face *
Analysing 'micro-expressions' is one of several techniques used in the search for truth, justice reporter KIRK MAKIN writes
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Lisa Marie Presley: Making a name for herself *
For Lisa Marie Presley, songwriting is therapy.
And the lyrics on her debut album, To Whom It May Concern, are as raw, brutally honest and uncensored as the woman herself. Presley's music, like the artist, pulls no punches.
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MDs balk at dispensing marijuana *
Doctors fret over burglaries, being hassled by patients to release the drug
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MDs will dispense marijuana *
Federal plan will see doctors distributing discount cannabis from their offices
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Morbid thoughts in morbid times *
During the first round of SARS here, I asked Ontario Health Minister Tony Clement, through an aide, if the experience had made him think any differently about privatization versus the public role in health care. I did so because, on TV, he often looked like a man genuinely trying to learn and grapple, not just calculate his best strategic response or facial expression. The answer came back: Nope, no change.
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Music lessons help children's learning *
Parents take heart: While those hours of violin lessons may not transform your child into Itzhak Perlman, soldiering away at the squeaky tunes may pay off in unexpected ways.
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On the Wagon *
In my book, TGIF stands for "Thank God it's February'." I know, February is utterly miserable. It's just the time of year when the icy walks and piles of snow cease being delightful, and thanks to those horrid groundhogs, we are still looking at six more weeks of winter. But now that it's February, there is one small consolation: Everybody can finally start giving up on their annoying New Year's resolutions.
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Once a hunter... *
Tales of torture and mass murder have made sex offenders a national concern. Now the fastest-growing segment of the federal prison population, they all seek treatment when they're caught. But what if that treatment is useless? JANE ARMSTRONG talks to a man who admits he can never really be trusted again.
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Ottawa set to sell its medical marijuana *
The federal government is going to share its stash of marijuana, selling the drug to hundreds of critically ill Canadians at bargain prices.
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Patients seek relief on price of medical pot *
Last September, Russell Barth sent a friend out with $300 to buy him a bag of marijuana that he hoped would help alleviate the pain he suffers from fibromyalgia.
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Promoting Healthy Body Image *
Wondering what you can do to encourage your daughter to develop a
healthy relationship with food, an active lifestyle, and a positive body
image?
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Reefer madness *
Canada's Health Minister may need to take a little of her own medicine, says PAUL SULLIVAN
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Sex, drugs and potholes of good intentions *
'Run your own massage parlour/escort service from the comfort of your own home, and make mucho dinero! And it's all perfectly legal!"
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Sick of simplicity and seeking solace in art *
The other night I got tired of being told about America. I got tired of being told about America by those who are not Americans, and who look to its great appetites as justification for their sometimes wise, sometimes foolish temperance. I got tired of being told about America by those who are not American and who look with the envy of the timid on what might be bold action, or with the sober pride of the cautious on what might be recklessness. I got tired of being told about America by cowards. And I got tired of being told about America by the brave. I got tired of being told about America by people who will see no good in nation that has much good in it. But mostly I got tired of being told about America by those who know that the best way, these days, to tell anyone anything, is to keep it simple.
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Stalker story unfolds at Alderwoman's trial *
It began with a friendly, anonymous after-hours call to Dar Heatherington's aldermanic office but soon escalated into sexually explicit letters to her home that prompted police to fear her entire family was in danger.
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Statins 'may cut dementia risk' *
Scientists have found further evidence that taking commonly used cholesterol-lowering statins may protect against dementia and memory loss.
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Study highlights a new kind of gender gap *
Girls' lack of confidence on computers could hamper their job hopes and wages
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The eyes have it -- Science or Science-Fiction? *
ALEXANDRA GILL suspends her disbelief and tests a British scientist's theory that we really can tell when someone's watching us
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The gift of dyslexia *
They may take longer to learn to read, but dyslexics outshine the rest of us in skills such as spatial perception. ALANNA MITCHELL examines a new movement that's taking the stigma out of the condition
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The Romantic: Raising a glass to the literary alcoholic ****
The Romantic, released in the spring of this year and long-listed for the Booker, is about the relationship between an alcoholic musician, Abel Richter, who drinks himself to death and the young woman who loves him.
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Tommy Chong jailed for selling drug accessories *
Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 (U.S.) yesterday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet. Hey, man, Doug's not here, man.
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WHO approves anti-tobacco accord *
The World Health Organization adopted a sweeping anti-tobacco treaty Wednesday in an unprecedented global push to regulate a product it says kills half of its regular users.
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Whoa, heavy irony, dude: Head of medical-pot program resigns *
Health Canada's medical marijuana program seems gripped by chaos after the departure of its former "Pot-Head," Cindy Cripps-Prawak.
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Young people who kill *
A rash of homicides by teens has raised the call for tougher youth-crime laws. They won't work -- but social intervention will, says Queen's law professor NICHOLAS BALA.
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