Fear of chemicals in flame retardants has gone viral, it seems. We initially reported on Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times column that would have readers fearful of the furniture in their homes, a scare that drew upon a series this month in The Chicago Tribune. The series, which founds its scare on an alleged deal that tobacco companies made with manufacturers of flame retardants, is drawing outrage across the Internet. Read the full story in ACSH Dispatch.
“Keep risk worries real!” By American Council on Science and Health.
Here’s more evidence that people tend to worry most about risks that are small or nonexistent, instead of paying attention to the risk factors that they can and should control: Injuries are actually the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of one and 44, and the third leading cause of death overall. However, according to a new study by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, not a single state has enacted all 10 injury prevention measures that were examined in the study. Meanwhile, about 50 million Americans are treated for injuries each year. Read the full story in ACSH Dispatch.