Month: May 2015

Teens who have seen a lot of alcohol drinking in movies may be more likely to drink themselves, a new study concludes. Researchers used information from a long-term study of British children. When they were 15, about 5,000 of them were asked about how often and how much alcohol they drank. They also were asked about which of 50 popular movies they had seen. Teens were put into groups based on how much alcohol drinking they had seen in these movies. Overall, drinking was common. About 86% of the teens said they had tried alcohol. Nearly half had participated in binge drinking. About 40% said they had had some sort of problem with school, work, friends or police that was related to alcohol. Researchers adjusted their numbers to account for factors other than movie exposure that might make teens more likely to drink.

Two popular food brands have recalled products contaminated by listeria. Blue Bell brand ice cream has been linked with 8 illnesses and 3 deaths. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the outbreaks April 9. Also last week, Sabra said it had recalled 30,000 cases of classic hummus. The bacteria were found in several tubs of hummus in Michigan. No infections have been linked to hummus, state health officials said. The CDC said 3 people in Texas became ill after eating Blue Bell ice cream between 2011 and 2014. Five cases in Kansas occurred from January 2014 to January 2015. Three of the Kansas patients died. Blue Bell Creameries has closed a plant and recalled several products. An expert interviewed by HealthDay News said people can get sick 3 to 70 days after being exposed to listeria.