Alcohol Consumption, Tattoos And Piercings Associated With Risky Behavior
Tattoos and body piercings have become so popular in western societies that many consider them fashion trends. While people acquire tattoos and piercings for different reasons, prior research has shown that individuals who do so are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors that include substance and alcohol use. This study was the first in France to find more alcohol per liter of exhaled breath in association with tattooing and body piercing. Results will be published in the July 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
When Beach Sand May Become Unsafe For Children, Play
With summer days at the beach on the minds of millions of winter-weary people, a new study provides health departments with information needed to determine when levels of disease-causing bacteria in beach sand could pose a risk to children and others who dig or play in the sand. The report appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology. Tomoyuki Shibata and Helena M. Solo-Gabriele explain that disease-causing bacteria from sewage can cause skin infections and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in people who come into contact with contaminated water.
Scant Evidence That Insect Bite Remedies Work
A UK review in the April Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) says there is scant evidence that over-the-counter remedies for simple insect bites work, suggesting that in most cases, no treatment at all is enough. The DTB concludes: "There is little evidence for the efficacy of treatments for simple insect bites. The symptoms are often self limiting and in many cases, no treatment may be needed." Most of the insect bites inflicted on people in the UK are from midges, mosquitoes, flies, fleas and bedbugs, looking for a blood meal.