Health

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, (AHF) the nation’s largest AIDS group and a direct provider of HIV/AIDS medical care to thousands of AIDS patients in the US, Africa, Central America and Asia, criticized Pfizer, Inc., the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, for contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases, by promoting unsafe sex in recent print advertisements for their erectile dysfunction drug, Viagra.

To raise awareness of the importance of youth smoking prevention and to encourage parents to talk to their kids about not smoking, Philip Morris USA is airing national television advertising in Spanish.

Each day, more than 9,000 new driver’s licenses are issued to 16- and 17-year-olds nationwide, the very same age group that is at greatest risk for marijuana use, and a 2005 survey reveals that these teens say that cars are the second most popular place for smoking marijuana.

Leaders in the public health community are denouncing new advertising and marketing tactics by the tobacco industry that are aimed at the Latino community, especially Latino youth. Public health groups, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention, are demanding that the tobacco companies stop targeting the Latino community.

The Century Council in partnership with Nickelodeon and an expert panel of respected Hispanic Organizations unveiled their most recent educational project Pregunte. Escuche. Aprenda. ¡Los niños y el alcohol no mezclan! Based on the extremely successful Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix a creative multimedia program originally launched in August 2004, Pregunte. Escuche. Aprenda. is designed to provide trusted adults who interact with middle school-aged kids with critical information on the negative consequences of underage drinking. This resource also provides simple ideas and strategies to promote effective conversations among kids and adults.

To mark a special day of awareness and prevention against HIV/AIDS in the Latino community, the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Hispanic Federation, along with more than 1000 partners in more than 46 states across the nation, sponsored a myriad of activities and actions on Saturday October 15th to commemorate the 3rd Annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. Although October 15th is the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, it is also the first day of a continuous fight against AIDS in the Latino community.

LifeScan, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company and the maker of OneTouch Ultra Blood Glucose Monitoring System, today launched a three-city media tour as part of a national news media campaign targeting the Hispanic community with facts and information about the importance of diabetes management and blood glucose monitoring.