After 15-year court battle, Pfizer reluctantly compensates Nigerian families whose loved ones injured, killed by illegal drug experiment

(NaturalNews) The families of children who were permanently injured or killed in an illegal 1996 Pfizer drug trial in Nigeria are finally starting to get the promised financial compensation for their losses, according to a recent report byBBC News. After trials involving the experimental anti-meningitis drug Trovan left 11 Nigerian children dead and dozens more injured, Pfizer initially refused to admit fault, claiming that the drug was not the cause. The drug giant eventually agreed to settle the issue out of court, however, and 15 years later is finally starting to distribute payments.

There was ameningitisepidemic in Kano, a city in northernNigeria, during the time whenPfizercame into the country and began pushing Trovan on youngchildren. The goal of the trial was to prove that Trovan was more effective than other established treatments for meningitis, even though it never had legal authority to do so. In the end, many of the 200 children who participated in this illicit medical experiment paid the ultimate price with either theirhealthor their lives.

When news of permanent disabilities and deaths first began to surface, Pfizer insisted that meningitis, not Trovan, was responsible. But the Kanogovernmentwas persistent in pursuing justice in the matter on behalf of itspeople, and it eventually forced Pfizer into a settlement agreement. And besides payments made to the victims' families, Pfizer also agreed to sponsor various health projects in Kano to be determined by the government.

"People and entities can and must be held accountable for the consequences of their conduct," said Babatunde Irukera, attorney for the state of Kano, to theWashington Postback in 2009 when the settlement was finally reached. "People around the world are no different and must be accorded the same levels of protections, always."

The original lawsuit sought $9 billion in restitution for damages and 31 criminal counts, which according to theWashington Postincluded homicide. Pfizer's Chairman Emeritus, William C. Steere Jr., was named as one of the defendants. While that suit was dropped in exchange for the settlement, Nigeria's federal government also filed a separate suit seeking roughly $6 billion in damages that was not affected by the settlement.

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/033358_Pfizer_drug_experiments.html#ixzz1VSFmlySV

Ron Paul: Force to be reckoned with?

(NaturalNews) Libertarian-leaning physician Ron Paul, longtime Republican lawmaker from Texas, has struggled mightily for attention and respect over the course of his many years in Congress and histhree presidential bids. He's been regular fodder for the self-anointed spinmeisters and talking heads inside the Beltway throughout, none of whom have ever taken him seriously.

The official snubbing continued over this past weekend, despite the fact that Paul finished a close second in theIowa straw poll. If you were only monitoring the mainstream media's reporting of the event, you might not have even known Paul was a candidate, let alone giving Rep. Michele Bachmann - the overall winner - a run for her money.

When the votes were tallied, just 152 separated the top two candidates; Bachmann received 4,823 votes, and Paul received 4,671, a margin some would consider a statistical dead heat. Yet the major news broadcasts ignored Paul's accomplishment, in essence dismissing the will of thousands of his supporters.

EvenFox News, the so-called iconic news agency of the right, blew off Paul's near-victory. In his "Fox News Sunday" broadcast, host Chris Wallace snubbed him altogether, saying of the results, "There's a top tier now of Bachmann and Perry and Romney, and we haven't mentioned, and we should, Rick Santorum who really did surprisingly well for the amount of money and resources he had." For the record, Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, received 1,657 votes, putting him in fourth place behind former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2,293 votes. Pawlenty, by the way, considered his finish to be so poor as todrive him out of the race altogether.

Even comedian Jon Stewart, host of The Comedy Network's "The Daily Show," has noticed the mainstream media's lack of coverage. "How did libertarianRon Paulbecome the 13th floor in a hotel?"he asked rhetorically on his programfollowing Paul's strong showing inIowa.

Worse than receiving no attention is the fact that some of the other candidates - all of whom performed worse than Paul - continue to be considered "top tier." That list would include former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and even businessman Herman Cain.Really? What gives?

Things may be about to change for Paul, however, in the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" department. It's possible that2012will be the year he finally command the respect he so richly deserves. Because whenthe vaunted Associated Press starts talking about your viability, you've definitely "arrived" on the political scene.

What's the problem with Paul? He's been a Republican congressman, fromTexasno less, for more than a quarter century, and yet he can't even get any love from his ownparty. Why?

For one thing, Paul's got a real libertarian, small-government, high-on-individual-freedom, anti-expeditionary war streak, and truth be told, his party really doesn't like those values much, despite what they try to sell to supporters.

"I believe in a very limited role forgovernment. But the prime reason that government exists in a free society is to protect liberty, but also to protect life," Paul told an increasingly boisterous crowd in Iowa Saturday.

"The country's bankrupt, and nobody wanted to admit it. And when you're bankrupt, you can't keep spending," he said Thursday, during a televised debate hosted by Fox News.

He wants to abolish the Federal Reserve, not because he's anextremistbut because he says it's an unaccountable organization that is secretive with U.S. economic policy and operates without any legitimate oversight from the federal government.

Paul, a former Air Force and Air National Guard flight surgeon, is not against protecting and defending legitimate national security interests but he is against spending limited national blood and treasure fighting endless brushfire wars in faraway lands to no effect and to no end.

As more Americans' pocketbooks are squeezed, Paul is a true advocate for getting government out of thebusinessof solving economic and employment problems by hampering business with too much oversight and red tape.

And that's his downfall. He's too much of a true believer for either major political party.

Take the recent debate over thedebtceiling. As far as the GOP leadership was concerned, it all centered on cutting spending - or so they said. But when the final deal was done - a deal Republican leaders signed off on -real government spending wasn't reduced at all. And the size of government wasn't cut a bit.

Paul knows that and warned against it. But as usual, he was shunned and ignored.

Well, it's getting harder to ignore him now. He's doing well in national polls. He's close to winning straw polls in early caucus states. And now, finally, he's beginning to get the attention and respect his long-held positions on the issues commands.

The establishment wants Ron Paul to sit down and be quiet because neither major party wants him or his positions to be heard. Yet results speak for themselves and the American people won't be denied.

Paul is for real. Paul has always been for real. He doesn't know how to be anything else.

What to Do If You Can't Sleep

Sometimes going to sleep can seem boring. There's so much more you want to do. But if you've ever had too little sleep, you know that you don't feel very well when you're not rested. Some kids have trouble falling to sleep, sometimes called insomnia. Let's talk about what to do if that happens to you.

Bedtime Fears

For kids, feeling scared or worried at bedtime is one of the main reasons for having trouble falling asleep. A kid might be afraid of the dark or might not like being alone. If a kid has a good imagination, he or she might hear noises at night and fear the worst — when it's just the family cat walking down the hall.

As you get older, these fears usually fade. Until they do, make sure your room makes you feel relaxed and peaceful. Look around your room from your bed. Are there things you can see from bed that make you feel good? If not, add some. Display some family photos or other pictures that make you happy. You might even create a mobile to hang over your bed.

Nightmares

Have you been having any nightmares lately? Sometimes it's hard to fall asleep when you're afraid of having a scary dream that feels way too real. If the fear of nightmares is keeping you awake, try talking to your mom or dad. Sometimes talking about the nightmares (and even drawing a picture of them) can help you stop having them.

By the way, kids have many more bad dreams when they watch scary or violent TV shows or movies or read scary books or stories before bedtime. Instead of doing those kinds of things, try thinking good thoughts before bed. Imagine a favorite place or activity or think of all the people who care about you. Reading a peaceful book before bed (your parent can read to you or you can read to yourself) or playing soothing music can help you have sweet dreams.

Worry and Stress

Insomnia also can happen when you're worried about things. It's easy to feel stressed when you have tests at school, after-school activities, team sports, and chores around the house.

If you're starting to feel overwhelmed — like it's all just too much — speak up. Your mom or dad can help you put some balance in your schedule. It may mean cutting out some activities so you have more free time.

Big Changes

A major change in your life or daily routine can easily cause sleep problems. Changes like divorce, death, illness, or moving to a new town can affect your ability to sleep through the night. During a difficult time, it helps if you feel safe. Try bringing a comforting object to bed with you, like a blanket a relative made for you or a favorite stuffed animal.

It might take a while to feel better, so talk with your mom or dad about what's bothering you. Even if the problem can't be solved, just talking it out can help you sleep easier.

Feeling Uncomfortable

If you feel too hot, too cold, hungry, or crowded, you won't get to sleep like you should. Prevent this by creating sleep-friendly bedtime space:

• Make sure your bed is ready for sleep and relaxing — not so jammed with toys and stuffed animals that there's no room for you.
• Turn on a fan if you're warm or pull on some socks if you're cold.
• Have a regular bedtime routine that includes a light snack if you often feel hungry when it's time to turn in.

Getting Help for Sleep Woes

Most of the time, talking with your parent is all you need to do to handle a sleep problem. Your mom or dad can help you improve your bedtime routine and help you be patient while you develop new sleep habits.

But if a kid has really tough sleep problems, he or she might need extra help. That could mean talking to a counselor or psychologistabout stress or sadness the kid is feeling.

If the kid's not really worried about anything, he or she could have a sleep problem. In this case, the answer might be to see a doctor who's a specialist in sleep. Some hospitals even have sleep labs, where patients come in and go to sleep so doctors can monitor their sleep and see what might be wrong.

Sleep Tips

Because so many people get insomnia, a lot of research has been done on how to beat it. Lucky for you, right? Not all of these tips work for everyone, but one or two might help you:

• Write in a journal before you go to bed. This practice clears your mind so you won't have all those thoughts crowding your brain when you're trying to sleep.
• Sleep in a dark, comfortable room. Light signals your body that it's time to be awake, so you want to avoid it at night. But if you are really afraid of the dark, it's OK to try a dim night-light. And being hot and sweaty or shivering from the cold can easily keep you up.
• Don't sleep with a pet. This can be a tough habit to break, but your lovable dog or cat could be keeping you awake. As your pet cozies up to you or makes noise, it could wake you from a peaceful sleep. Try sleeping without your pet for a couple nights to see if you sleep better that way.
• Don't drink any caffeinated beverages (like soda or iced tea) after about 3:00 in the afternoon. Caffeine is a stimulant and might keep you awake.
• Don't exercise at night. Keep your exercise to earlier in the day — never within a couple hours of when you go to sleep.
• Once you're lying in bed, try a peaceful mind exercise. For instance, count backward from 100 with your eyes closed. By the time you get to 10 (yawn) we hope you'll feel very sleepy. And by 5, we hope you'll feel yourself drifting off ... 3, 2, 1, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Smoking Stinks

Smoking is one of the worst things kids or adults can do to their bodies. Yet every single day about 3,900 kids between the ages 12 and 17 start smoking. Most middle school students don't smoke — only about 1 in 16 does. And most high school students don't smoke either — about 1 in 5 does (that means 4 out of 5 don't).

But why do those who smoke ever begin?

There's more than just one simple answer. Some kids may start smoking just because they're curious. Others may like the idea of doing something dangerous — something grownups don't want them to do. Still others might know lots of people who smoke and they might think it's a way to act or look like an adult. Fortunately, fewer people are starting smoking than a few years ago.

Maybe that's because more and more people have learned that smoking and tobacco use can cause cancer and heart disease. But sometimes kids can't really think that far into the future to worry about an illness they might not get for many years.

So let's talk about the problems that might affect kids more quickly:

• bad breath
• yellow teeth
• smelly clothes
• more colds and coughs
• difficulty keeping up with friends when playing sports
• empty wallet — cigarettes and tobacco products are very expensive!

Let's find out more about cigarettes and tobacco.

What Are Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco?

Tobacco (say: tuh-ba-ko) is a plant that can be smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It's the same plant that's in smokeless tobacco, known as dip, chew, snuff, spit, or chewing tobacco. Smokeless tobacco is not lit or inhaled like tobacco in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Instead, smokeless tobacco is put between the lip and gum and sucked on inside the mouth.

Tobacco contains nicotine (say: nih-kuh-teen), a chemical that causes a tingly or pleasant feeling — but that feeling only lasts for a little while. Nicotine is also addictive (say: uh-dik-tiv). That means that if you start to use nicotine, your body and mind will become so used to it that you'll need to have it just to feel OK.

Anyone who starts smoking could become addicted to it. If you're addicted to something, it's very hard to stop doing it, even if you want to. Some kids get addicted right away. And adults are often addicted, which is why so many of them have a hard time quitting smoking.

Why Is It So Bad for You?

Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. You know those rubber bracelets that were created to bring attention to different causes? The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids created a red one with the number 1,200 on it. Why 1,200? That's the number of people who die each day due to smoking.

The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco cause lots of diseases, like heart problems and some kinds of cancer. If you smoke, you hurt your lungs and heart each time you light up. It also can make it more difficult for blood to move around in the body, so smokers may feel tired and cranky. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes.

The Other Cost of Smoking

Using tobacco eats up a lot of money, too. A pack of cigarettes costs $4.50, on average. That means, even if you buy just one pack a week, you'll spend $234 in a year. Some people smoke a pack a day, which adds up to $1,642! That's a lot of CDs, computer games, and clothes you could buy instead.

What's It Like?

Usually, people don't like smoking or chewing tobacco at first. Your body is smart, and it knows when it's being poisoned. When people try smoking for the first time, they often cough a lot and feel pain or burning in their throat and lungs. This is your lungs' way of trying to protect you and tell you to keep them smoke free. Also, many people say that they feel sick to their stomachs or even throw up. If someone accidentally swallows chewing tobacco, they may be sick for hours. Yuck.

What if My Friend Smokes?

If you have friends who smoke or use tobacco, you can help them by encouraging them to quit. Here are some reasons you can mention:

• It will hurt their health.
• It will make their breath stinky.
• It will turn their teeth yellow.
• It will give them less endurance when running or playing sports.
• It's expensive.
• It's illegal to buy cigarettes when you're underage.

If you think it will help, you could print out articles like this one to give to a friend who smokes. He or she may be interested in learning more about the dangers of smoking. But people don't like to hear that they're doing something wrong, so your pal also could be a little angry. If that happens, don't push it too much. In time, your friend may realize you are right.

In the meantime, it could help to talk with a parent or a school counselor if you're worried about your friend. When your friend is ready, a grown-up can help him or her quit for good. If your friend decides to quit, lend your support. You might say it's time to kick some butts!

Bad Breath

You lean over to whisper something to your friend and you can tell by the look on your friend's face that something is up. Could it be your breath? Maybe you shouldn't have put extra onions on your hamburger at lunch. What's a kid with smelly breath to do?

The good news is that bad breath happens to everyone once in a while. Let's find out how to detect it, prevent it, and even treat it.

What's That Smell?

Bad breath is the common name for the medical condition known as halitosis (say: hal-uh-toe-sis). Many different things can cause halitosis — from not brushing your teeth to certain medical conditions.

Sometimes, a person's bad breath can blow you away — and he or she may not realize there's a problem. There are tactful (nice) ways of letting someone know about bad breath. You could offer mints or sugarless gum without having to say anything.

If you need to tell a friend he or she has bad breath, you could say that you understand foods can cause bad breath because you've had it before yourself. By letting someone know that bad breath isn't something unusual, you'll make your friend feel more comfortable and less embarrassed about accepting your piece of chewing gum.

If you suspect your own breath is foul, ask someone who will give you an honest answer without making fun of you. (Just don't ask your brother or sister — they just might tell you your breath stinks even when it doesn't!)

Although everyone gets bad breath sometimes, if you have bad breath a lot, you may need to visit your dentist or doctor.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Here are three common causes of bad breath:

1. foods and drinks, such as garlic, onions, cheese, orange juice, and soda
2. poor dental hygiene (say: hi-jeen), meaning not brushing and flossing regularly
3. smoking and other tobacco use

Poor oral hygiene leads to bad breath because when food particles are left in your mouth, they can rot and start to smell. The food bits may begin to collect bacteria, which can be smelly, too.

Not brushing your teeth regularly will let plaque (a sticky, colorless film) build up on your teeth. Plaque is a great place for bacteria to live and yet another reason why breath can turn foul.

Preventing Smelly Breath

So what's a kid to do? Don't smoke or use tobacco products, of course. And take care of your mouth by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing once a day. Brush your tongue, too, because bacteria can grow there. Flossing once a day helps get rid of particles wedged between your teeth. Also, visit your dentist twice a year for regular checkups and cleanings.

Not only will you get a thorough cleaning, the dentist will look around your mouth for any potential problems, including those that can affect breath. For example, gum disease, also known asperiodontal (say: per-ee-uh-don-tul) disease, can cause bad breath and damage your teeth.

If you're concerned about bad breath, tell your doctor or dentist. But don't be surprised if he or she leans in and take a big whiff! Smell is one way doctors and dentists can help figure out what's causing the problem. The way a person's breath smells can be a clue to what's wrong. For instance, if someone has uncontrolleddiabetes, his or her breath might smell like acetone (the same stuff that's in nail polish remover).

If you have bad breath all the time and the reason can't be determined by your dentist, he or she may refer you to a doctor to make sure no other medical condition could be causing it. Sometimes sinus problems, and rarely liver or kidney problems, can cause bad breath.

Usually, there's a less complicated reason for bad breath — like what you had for lunch. So keep up with your brushing and flossing and you should be breathing easy — and odor free!