|
Consumer News compiled by Carl Mendoza |
FAKE
AIRBAGS GROWING CONCERN IN USED CARS
Some
used vehicles may not be as safe as you think: the airbags may be fake.
MONTREAL
TELEMARKETERS CHARGED WITH FRAUD
The Competition Bureau has charged 11 people in Montreal with
telemarketing fraud.
HEALTH
CANADA TO IMPROVE DRUG MONITORING
Health Canada is poised to announce that it will create a new
organization to increase the effectiveness of drug monitoring after the drugs
have been approved for sale.
MARCH 19, 2002
TOBACCO
COMPANIES TO FIGHT "MILD" BAN
Tobacco companies say they will fight a proposed ban by the federal
government on the use of the words "light" and "mild" on
cigarette labels.
INTERNET
GAMBLERS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE 'PATHOLOGICAL' ADDICTION: STUDY
People who use the Internet to gamble may have a more serious addiction
than those using conventional methods of gambling, say researchers.
NATIONS
MEET TO DISCUSS GLOBAL TOBACCO RESTRICTIONS
Talks have begun on a global treaty on tobacco control that could see
bans on sponsorship, advertising and restrictions on the production of
cigarettes.
ONTARIO
TO RESTRICT USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION BY DIRECT MARKETERS
The Ontario government says it will push through its privacy legislation
despite calls from the business community to water it down.
COMPULSIVE
SHOPPERS HELPED BY DEPRESSION DRUGS: STUDY
Doctors have discovered anti-depression drugs can be used to treat
conditions such as hot flashes and compulsive shopping.
NEW PILL
MEANS FEWER PERIODS
American scientists have developed a new version of the contraceptive
pill that would cut down the number of periods a woman has to four a year.
MARCH 14, 2002
TAXES
PROPOSED ON RECORDABLE CDS, DVDS, MP3 PLAYERS
A proposal by Canada's Copyright Board could add hundreds of dollars to
the cost of "recordable media" such as MP3 players.
WONDER
BREAD CLAIMS FULL OF HOLES: U.S. REGULATORS
U.S. authorities have charged the makers of Wonder Bread with making
unsupported claims that its products would make children's minds work better.
LIGHT
DRINKING CAN EASE BLOOD PRESSURE: STUDY
Having a few alcoholic drinks a week is beneficial for a woman's blood
pressure, according to a new study by Harvard University Medical School.
MARCH 13, 2002
CLASS
ACTION SUIT SAYS BANKS OWE MILLIONS IN INTEREST CHARGES
A
class action lawsuit has been launched against three of Canada's biggest banks
over the issue of interest charges on credit cards.
RATE
FILMS FOR SMOKING: ANTI-TOBACCO GROUPS
Anti-tobacco groups in the United States are calling for movie ratings
to factor in whether films show people smoking.
TOBACCO
ADS DIRECTED AT TEENS ON THE RISE: REPORT
Tobacco companies have increased their advertising targeted at children,
say researchers from the University of Chicago.
MARCH 12, 2002
QUEBEC
RE-ISSUES AIRBAG RECALL; NOT ENOUGH CONSUMERS INFORMED
Quebec's public car insurance agency has re-issued a recall on rebuilt
airbags saying not enough body shops and dealers are notifying consumers about
the dangers.
OTTAWA
STOPS BUYING PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD
The City of Ottawa has announced it will not be buying any more wood
treated with arsenic for playgrounds, park benches and tables. It's believed to
be the first municipality in Canada to do so.
POLICE
WARN STUDENTS FROM DUBIOUS TELEMARKETING JOBS
The RCMP is warning students in Quebec not to get involved in
telemarketing fraud. They're teaching them how to spot a job that could
be illegal.
CALIFORNIA
FROST BLAMED FOR SKYROCKETING LETTUCE PRICES
Every winter, Canadians pay more for imported vegetables. But a cold
snap in California means prices are higher than usual for some produce.
SAFEWAY
BATTLES PROFESSIONAL SHOPLIFTERS
Canadian grocers are working harder these days to stop thieves who are
carting off big-ticket items, sometimes selling them on the black market.
TORONTO
AIRPORT GETS DEFIBRILLATOR UNITS
Toronto's Pearson International Airport now has machines that can
deliver a lifesaving pulse of electrical current to treat a person having a
heart attack.
WATCHDOG
WARNS OF HIGH FEES AT INDEPENDENT BANK MACHINES
The cost of banking in Canada has dropped marginally over the past two
years, but Industry Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs says the luxury of using
automatic banking machines can be costlier than many people
realize.
BETTER
BUSINESS BUREAU WARNS OF E-MAIL SCAM
The Better Business Bureau is warning people to be on the lookout for a
scam that may be coming via e-mail.
CHILDREN
IN EXTENDED CAB PICKUPS FACE GREATER INJURY RISK: STUDY
Children riding in the rear seat of compact extended cab pickup trucks
are fives times more likely to be injured in a crash compared to children in the
rear seats of other vehicles, a new study says.
WOMEN
CONTESTING LETHAL SIDE EFFECTS OF CONTRACEPTIVE PILL
More
than 100 women who say they've been exposed to dangerous side
effects of the third-generation contraceptive pill are taking their case
to court in England.
NESTLE
COFFEES RECALLED BECAUSE OF BROKEN-GLASS FEARS
A national recall of Nestlé'sTaster's Choice instant coffee has been
issued because of concern that the 340-g jars may contain pieces of broken
glass. One injury has been reported by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency.
PATIENTS
RISK HEART ATTACKS IF THEY GO OFF CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS
Heart patients who go off cholesterol-lowering drugs when hospitalized
risk a "rebound" effect that makes them nearly three times more likely
to suffer a heart attack than those who kept taking their medication,
German researchers have warned.
BIOTECH
INDUSTRY NEEDS MORE REGULATION: SCIENTIST
A controversial American scientist is coming to Canada to give his
thoughts on the labeling of genetically modified foods.
HIGH
PRICE PAID IN ALBERTA ELECTRICITY DEREGULATION: CONFERENCE
Deregulating the electricity market has cost Albertans $3 billion,
delegates to a conference on deregulation have been told. But experts in
the field said there's no point to re-regulating the market.
$7.7
MILLION PAYOUT IN VITAMIN PRICE FIXING LAWSUIT
Four international drug companies will pay $7.7 million to settle a
lawsuit over fixing prices of a vitamin food additive.
CLASS
ACTION SUIT SAYS BANKS OWE MILLIONS IN INTEREST CHARGES
A
class action lawsuit has been launched against three of Canada's biggest banks
over the issue of interest charges on credit cards.
RATE
FILMS FOR SMOKING: ANTI-TOBACCO GROUPS
Anti-tobacco groups in the United States are calling for movie ratings
to factor in whether films show people smoking.
TOBACCO
ADS DIRECTED AT TEENS ON THE RISE: REPORT
Tobacco companies have increased their advertising targeted at children,
say researchers from the University of Chicago.
