By The Defender Staff

Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants

The New York Times reported:

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced several initiatives intended to rein in the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the most widely prescribed class of antidepressants, which he has described as exceptionally difficult to quit. Mr. Kennedy has long signaled that reducing the use of psychiatric drugs would be an aim of his tenure, but Monday’s announcements were the first significant step in that direction.

The initiative focuses on the most widely prescribed class of psychiatric medications, first-line treatments for depression and anxiety that include Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil and Prozac. In 2026, 16.6 percent of U.S. adults, or roughly one in six, reported currently taking an S.S.R.I.

Introduced nearly 40 years ago, the drugs surged in popularity, partly because they had fewer side effects than previous antidepressants and could be prescribed by general practitioners. Clinicians typically told patients that going off S.S.R.I.s was straightforward. But many patients report withdrawal symptoms, including “brain zaps,” restlessness and flulike symptoms, and say they have received little support from clinicians in the process.

Florida Rep. Luna Says Senate May Put Pesticide Liability Protections Back in Farm Bill

KBOI reported:

Florida GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said Monday that she has heard the Senate may reinstate pesticide liability protections in the Farm Bill that were removed by the House last week. Last week, Luna introduced an amendment to remove the pesticide liability protections from the Farm Bill before it went to the Senate. The amendment passed 280-142 in a bipartisan vote.

Various lawmakers and prominent voices in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement wanted the pesticide liability provisions removed from the bill because the provisions allowed Bayer a “liability shield” against allegations that the chemical glyphosate used by the company can cause cancer. Luna warned that if the protections are put back in place, the House can kill it.

Trump Pressures FDA Commissioner to Approve Flavored Vapes

The Wall Street Journal reported:

A frustrated President Trump over the weekend upbraided Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products, according to people familiar with the discussions.

In a series of weekend calls while in Florida and conversations at the White House on Monday, Trump sought advice from his advisers about Makary and the importance of flavored vaping to young MAGA voters, the people said.

Advisers told the president that Makary has blocked Trump’s vaping agenda and described the commissioner as a problem for the administration. Makary earlier bucked White House preferences by refusing to OK menthol, mango and blueberry vape flavors from Los Angeles manufacturer Glas.

Makary and Trump discussed the FDA commissioner changing course on flavored vapes, people familiar with the matter said, though it wasn’t clear if he had decided to do so. Some of the people said Makary was weighing becoming more open to vape flavor approvals. Makary earlier wanted to avoid approving fruit flavors or others potentially appealing to children because he was worried about the public health risks.

83 Groups Call on HHA, EPA to Take Emergency Action on Industrial Agriculture’s Nitrate Pollution Crisis

Food & Water Watch reported:

Today, 83 groups sent a letter to Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin calling on them to take emergency action on industrial agriculture’s nitrate water pollution crisis to protect Americans’ drinking water at the source and at the tap.

The letter comes on the heels of a recent Iowa Environmental Council and Harkin Institute report which found Iowa has the nation’s highest waterway nitrate contamination, linked to high and rising cancer rates. Iowa ranks second in the nation for cancer incidence, and is one of just three states where rates are rising. Iowa’s primary nitrate polluter is industrial agriculture, with more factory farms and more row cropped acreage than any other state.

Among other demands, the letter calls on EPA to act on a Safe Drinking Water Act emergency petition filed to protect Iowans’ drinking water in 2024. The proliferation of nitrate pollution in drinking water is not a phenomenon unique to Iowa. A recent EWG report found that roughly 1 in 5 Americans’ drinking water contains nitrates. Industrial agriculture is a primary contributor, most notably from factory farm waste and synthetic fertilizer runoff.

High nitrate contamination levels have been observed in areas dominated by industrial agriculture nationwide. Over the past several years, groups have petitioned EPA for emergency action on the issue in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon and Washington.

The post Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants + More appeared first on Children’s Health Defense.

 

IPAK-EDU is grateful to The Defender as this piece was originally published there and is included in this news feed with mutual agreement. Read More