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If your kid is suffering through a runny nose and cough this winter, you may be tempted to reach for the same cold medicine you take for your own cold symptoms.

According to an FDA ruling issued today, however, cold medicines for children,  especially children under the age of 2, can be potentially life threatening.

According to MSNBC,

Thursday’s advisory marks the government’s first ruling on the issue: Don’t give the drugs to children under 2. And it comes now because the FDA is worried that parents haven’t gotten that message despite all the publicity last fall.

They may still have infant-targeted drugs at home, or they may buy drugs meant for older children to give to hacking tots instead, said Dr. Charles Ganley, FDA’s nonprescription drugs chief.

“We still have a concern,” Ganley said. “It falls out of people’s consciousness. We’re still in the middle of cold season right now.”

Time to head into your medicine cabinet and throw away all of those boxes of children’s cold and flu meds!

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In case you missed it, Anderson Cooper recently aired a fairly surprising story on how many drugs are available and prescribed in the United States that are not reviewed  and sanctioned by the FDA.

According to CNN,

Every year, doctors write approximately 65 million prescriptions for drugs not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency that regulates prescription drugs.

These drugs, some of which the FDA admits could be dangerous, slip through a “black hole” in the drug approval system, according to one U.S. congressman.

“There’s a regulatory black hole that makes it possible for the pharmaceutical companies to get these drugs to the stores that sell them without the FDA being able to monitor it,” said Rep. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts.

Dr. Walter over at Highlight HEALTH has an interesting solution — check out iGuard, which claims to be the fastest and easiest way to get personalized safety alerts and updates about your medicines.

According to their website, iGuard is a powerful communication tool designed to:

Alert you and your doctor (if you choose) about important safety information for the drugs you are taking.

Distribute risk ratings that help you understand drug risk today, and in the future as new safety information emerges.

Facilitate communication between you and your physician about medication risks and monitoring.

Provide an easily accessible summary of your medicines and conditions for your own records and to use in coordinating care across all your physicians.

Help researchers identify safety problems faster.

Support family members and caregivers who are responsible for dependents in monitoring safety.

It’s fast, it’s personalized, and best of all, it’s free. Five minutes of registration could save your life — click here to sign up today!

Thanks for the tip, Dr. Walter!

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You may have seen President Clinton making the rounds recently to promote his new book, GIVING: How Each of Us Can Change the World.

As an adjunct to the book and part of the Clinton Foundation’s Global Initiative, they recently launched MyCommitment.org, which is dedicated to helping ordinary citizens find a way to make a difference.

There’s almost too much information on here, with literally hundreds of ways for you to make a difference, but it’s all excellent stuff. I could probably post on just one of these things every day for a year!

From their website,

No act of giving is too big or too small. Whether it’s hosting a potluck to raise money for your favorite cause or volunteering with your church group once a month to clean a local park—everyone can give something. Inside this My Commitment 101 Kit you’ll find everything you need to get started on your commitment, including a database of volunteer opportunities available in communities worldwide, downloadable charity badges to post on your blog or website, 50 tips for improving the world, lists of organizations and groups you might want to join or buy from, and more!

Being a former president seems a bit like becoming a grandfather — without the constant pressure of making sure you raise the kids right, you can become a softer, gentler version of yourself. I liked the old President Clinton, but I think I like the new one even better!

Check out all the options and pledge to make a difference — one action at a time!

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Here’s a cause that even your grandmother could get behind! Despite many local laws that outlaw the practice of hanging laundry outside to dry, Project Laundry is fighting for your right to laundry!

Image Source

According to their website, here are just six of the great reasons to dry clothes on a line:

1. Save money (more than $100/year for many households).
2. Conserve energy and the environment.
3. Clothes and sheets smell better.
4. Clothes last longer.
5. It is physical activity which you can do in or outside.
6. Clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually.

And from now through October 31st, if you purchase a 14″ X 11″ print of this image at $90, the artist will donate $50 per print to Project Laundry.

For a bunch of other online green laundry accessories, click here.  Why not step outside and get some fresh air?

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In October, Brian and I are taking off for a 4-day desert camel trek in Morocco with my favorite adventure travel specialist, Mountain Travel Sobek. This two-week vacation won’t be quite as selfless as the prior trip to India, I’m afraid, but it turns out I can’t blame that on the tour company!

Mountain Travel Sobek has just published two new tours — both led by one of the original company founders — for folks who want to combine their adventure vacation with a unique opportunity to do some good.

The first is an exciting trip through Egypt:

It’s a fascinating journey exploring the Nile through the lens of Sobek (yes, our Sobek!), the crocodile god that influenced so much of dynastic Egypt, and of the crocodile itself, which through poaching, pollution, and the blockage from the Aswan Dam has disappeared from the Egyptian Nile. Traveling to temples and active dig sites not included on any other itineraries, you’ll witness the art and architecture influenced by the great god Sobek, as well as many other great icons of Egypt. And, you’ll “make a difference” by taking one of the many live poached crocodiles at Aswan and releasing it back into the waters of the Nile, where through efforts like this it might one day thrive and reclaim its place as “Lord of the Nile.”

The second trip is through the north and south islands of New Zealand:

If you’re the kind of person who likes to get the most out of your vacation, you’ll love this trip! The itinerary is very similar to the one Mountain Travel Sobek co-founder Richard Bangs designed for the PBS series Adventures with Purpose, and it’s an action-packed discovery of both the South and North Islands of New Zealand. Go canyoneering in the spectacular canyons of the Matukituki Valley; try your hand at ice climbing at the Fox Glacier; swim with dolphins; sea kayak on a vast crater lake (with volcanoes looming on the horizon); and ever so much more, including meeting a Maori elder who will share his people’s perspective on history and natural geography. And, you’ll make a difference, by spending time on volunteer community projects that benefit New Zealand’s people and their stunning environment. More than just a vacation, this is an adventure with purpose.

I traveled with a MT Sobek group a few years ago on a sea kayaking expedition in Baja California and had an amazing time. The guides were fabulous and the other people on the tour were interesting and friendly. If we weren’t already on our way to North Africa, I just might be convinced to change my plans!

Why not check out the tours and clear your calendars!

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