hc-news@list.hc-sc.gc.ca

**************************************************************
Health Canada News Digest for March 2007

**************************************************************
Spotlights for March 2007

National Nutrition month Health Minister Tony Clement joined Dietitians of Canada to launch National Nutrition Month® 2007, an initiative of Dietitians of Canada which occurs every March and is designed to raise public awareness on the valuable contribution that healthy eating makes to the overall health of Canadians.

Through the Natural Health Products Directorate, Health Canada ensures that all Canadians have ready access to natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality, while respecting freedom of choice and philosophical and cultural diversity. For more information, please visit:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/index_e.html
Aboriginal Peoples can prevent colorectal cancer rates from rising This is a disease that people can do a lot about. To read the article, please visit the Canadian Health Network (CHN) at:

http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1169408583306&pagename=CHN-RCS/CHNResource/CHNResourcePageTemplate&c=CHNResource
***************************************************************
It's Your Health - what's new

As age advances, some seniors experience discomfort or fear when doing activities they enjoyed in their younger years. If this is happening to you, an assistive device may help you overcome your difficulties. Assistive devices are items that ease the strains of daily activities at home, at work, or at play. They include medical equipment, mobility aids, information technologies, practical aids, and gadgets to suit many different needs. These devices can help you improve your quality of life and maintain your sense of independence. For more information go to:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/life-vie/seniors-aines_ad-af_e.html
Laser Eye Surgery for Vision Correction - Update

Thousands of Canadians are turning to laser eye surgery to correct their vision and eliminate their dependency on glasses or contact lenses. Laser eye surgery is the most commonly practiced procedure to correct vision problems caused by refractive errors, including myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and astigmatism (distorted vision when looking at objects at any distance). Like all medical procedures, laser eye surgery provides benefits, but poses risks. For more information go to:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/med/surgery-chirurgie_e.html
Safe Use of Arts and Crafts Materials - Update

Some artists and craftspeople might assume that all arts materials are safe to work with, based on the simple fact that the materials are readily available. However, some of these materials can pose a hazard if you do not follow all of the safety instructions on the product label. If you are an artist or craftsperson, you may be working with materials that have the potential to harm your health. It is important to protect yourself by taking proper precautions, whether you are working with these materials to earn money or simply for your own enjoyment. For more information go to:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/iyh-vsv/prod/arts_e.html
***************************************************************
The News Digest

***************************************************************
For the most recent headlines from Health Canada, visit:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/media/releases/2007/index.htm
***************************************************************
Warnings released in February 2007

1. Reports of adverse reactions in patients with serious mental health conditions suspected in association with use of prescription medications and EMPowerPlus (2007 February 28)

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/2007/2007_17_e.html
______________________________
2. Health Canada advises consumers not to use herbal sleep supplement Sleepees which contains a habit-forming drug (2007 February 23)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/2007/2007_16_e.html
______________________________
3. Health Canada examining information linking antiviral drug to development of treatment-resistant HIV (2007 February 21)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/2007/2007_15_e.html
______________________________
4. Health Canada advises specific groups to limit their consumption of canned albacore tuna (2007 February 19)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/2007/2007_14_e.html

****************************************************************
Headlines for February 2007

1. Ministers Clement and Baird Take Immediate Action Towards the Safe Management of Chemicals (2007 February 8)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2007/2007_13_e.html
______________________________
2. New funding to the Rick Hansen Foundation (2007 February 8)

For more information, visit

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2007/2007_12_e.html
______________________________
4. Canada's new government launches updated Food Guide to help Canadians live healthier (2007 February 5)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2007/2007_11_e.html
______________________________
5. How Canada's Food Guide was revised - Backgrounder (2007 February 5)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2007/2007_11bk1_e.html
______________________________
6. Stakeholder Reaction to New Food Guide - Backgrounder (2007 February 5)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2007/2007_11bk2_e.html
______________________________
7. Health Minister Tony Clement receives Courage in Public Policy Award (2007 February 3)

For more information, visit

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2007/2007_10_e.html
****************************************************************
The Canadian Health Network (CHN)

Searching for additional personal health information from a trusted source? The CHN offers dependable, up-to-date information on health promotion and disease and injury prevention, to help individuals and communities make healthy choices that improve the quality of their life. The CHN is a national, bilingual health promotion service brought to you by the Public Health Agency of Canada and major health organizations across Canada.

http://www.canadian-health-network.ca
The Canada Health Portal

Do you need one-stop access to authoritative health information from multi-jurisdictions? The Canada Health Portal is the health cluster on the Canada Site (www.canada.gc.ca) that provides easy access to trusted government health information and services. This site links you to a variety of on-line resources to help you make informed health decisions. To find information on health topics important to you, visit

If you are already a subscriber to the monthly News Digest and wish to cancel your subscription, please visit