Can a pill relieve the pain of rejection by friends, coworkers, lovers, etc? Apparently, Tylenol can.

Is the birth control pill responsible for fewer men graduation from college? Economist Tim Harford says it is.

Are hygienic and medical advances killing bacteria, viruses and fungi that are essential to our health? Many of these microscopic guests are really ancient allies.

A feature on WebMD shares a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. According to the findings of researchers, it seems that there is little evidence to support the hypothesis that marijuana is a gateway drug that can lead to the use of harder drugs when the kids grow into adulthood.

Harder drugs are collectively used to refer to such drugs as analgesics, cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, sedatives, stimulants, and tranquilizers.

Researchers looked into survey data from 1,300 teenagers who attended public high schools in south Florida in the 1990s. While those who smoked marijuana as teens were more likely to move on the harder drugs in the future, this gateway effect decreased as they got older.

Researcher Karen Van Gundy, a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire, shared: We were somewhat surprised to find the gateway effect wasn’t that strong during the transition to adulthood. It really didn’t matter if someone used marijuana or not as a teen.

On the contrary, it seems like drug use can be linked more to stress, as well as failure to graduate from high school or find a job. What this implies is that anti-drug efforts geared towards keeping kids in school and ensuring that they are provided with ample opportunities for employment are more effective towards preventing drug use during adulthood.

From behind the wheel of his minivan, Bill Szentmiklosi scours the streets of Sun City in search of zoning violations like unkempt yards and illegal storage sheds. Mostly, though, he is on the lookout for that most egregious of all infractions: children.

With a clipboard of alleged violations to investigate, he peers over fences and ambles into backyards of one of Americas pioneer retirement communities, a haven set aside exclusively for adults, where children are allowed to visit but not live.

See the full article on the child-ban in Sun City.

In the investigation that ensued, it was eventually revealed that the conditions in the two Iowa farms involved in the recall were not up to par. And who was to blame? A feature on USA Today shared that animal rights groups as well as organic supporters believe that industrial animal agriculture is the culprit behind it all.

Organic and local supporters are quick to point out that raising animals in small-scale, local farms will ensure safer produce, while animal rights groups are pushing for the drastic limitation of the use of animals as a food source.

Not necessarily, according to Ben Thompson of Pearl Valley Eggs in Illinois. The farm currently has more than a million Shaverchickens but not one positive test for salmonella enteritidis since testing began ten years ago. It is all about good management and the right farm maintenance; at Pearl Valley Eggs, this includes conveyor belts that take away chicken manure, while an entirely separate conveyor system delivers clean food. They have fans installed to ensure that the air quality inside the henhouses is clean, and eggs are shipped to supermarkets within 24 hours after they are laid.

Jeffrey Armstrong, the dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University, said: It is about management each type (of production method) has its advantages and disadvantages.

Reader Chrissy posted: I am an adult smoker I couldnt smoke 40 a day how did it get to that many? Take the child from the parents and give him the medication available to quit.

Those who reacted to the story may be interested to find out that Ardi Rizal has been weaned of his habit, thanks to therapy. A feature on The Money Times shared the update, along with this statement from Arist Merdeka Sirait, secretary-general of the National Commission for Child Protection: He [Ardi] has quit smoking, and the most important thing is he doesnt ask for cigarettes anymore.

The toddler was placed under the care of the National Commission for Child Protection in July, and was given psychological therapy. Sirait shared further that Ardis addiction to cigarettes has since been redirected to playing: He received psychosocial therapy for one month, during which therapists kept him busy with activities and encouraged him to play with kids of the same age.

Ardi Rizal was exposed to various activities, including drawing. His mother, in turn, was given parenting classes. Rizal was described as a happy boy and has reportedly left Jakarta to go home to his village.

We just hope that his father who apparently stayed behind in their village of Musi Banyuasin does not hand him a cigarette again.

Police documents reveal that Ms. Hilton denied that she owned the purse and the cocaine found inside it saying that she had borrowed it from a girlfriend.

However, RadarOnline.com dug up an old Twitpic posted by Paris herself more than a month before the Vegas incident. The pic showed a Chanel purse that was uncannily identical to the one she carried on the night of her arrest. The pic was accompanied by the following message: Love My New Chanel Purse I Got Today

David Dranove on ObamaCare, at The Health Care Blog

Weight gain cannot be prevented when smoking is completely stopped. Even if you dont eat much nor do some exercise to avoid it, you still end up adding a few pounds. Cases also show that more women gain more weight than men once they cease smoking. This is why some smokers do not continue with quitting because they do not want to get fat. This should not be the case since studies have shown that the amount of weight gain due to quitting is just minimal. Their health is more endangered if they continue to smoke.

Stress is also one of the leading reasons why smokers go back to smoking. When a smoker stops smoking, he deprives his body of nicotine (the addictive substance found in cigarettes) which helped him deal with stress and unwanted feelings or emotions before he kissed smoking goodbye. In the absence of nicotine, hes left with no choice but to deal with the stress on his own. It is important then that when smokers quit, they should develop new methods of handling stress.

Doctors suggest that physical activity helps in dealing with the after effects of quitting smoking. Exercise has been proven to be effective against stress and can help you lose weight. If you are not fond of doing exercise, try walking as your daily activity to keep you from smoking. Walking can reduce your stress and help tone your muscles and keeps you from thinking about cigarettes too. There are many instances where you can apply walking. Walking around shopping malls, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking with a friend at lunch breaks, or walking your dog every morning can all be forms of physical activity.

Mark Halperin, writing in TIME

If you are found to possess less than 50 grams of marijuana with no intention of selling, it usually makes the disorderly persons offense. At this stage, licensing boards, potential employers, and other third parties will be able to access this information in the event of conviction. Aside from these, a six-month revocation of drivers license will also be applied if proven guilty.

Now if you are caught carrying 50 grams or more of the controlled substance, then it can now become a felony. It is commonly known as a Fourth Degree Offense which results to a criminal record, with up to eighteen (18) months of imprisonment, and a fine of up to $25,000. The courts supervision will also be involved at this stage to which most would refer to as a time of probation.

It is also punishable if marijuana possession is found within school properties or within 1,000 feet from a property used for school purposes. This would entail a sentence of community service of not less than 100 hours. There is also a term coined for knowledge of the presence of marijuana and having the intention to have physical control over it. This is what is meant by Constructive Possession which is also categorized as a criminal act.

Whatever offense you might be in, they all have damaging effects on your future. It would be best if you just stay away from it.