Addressing NCDs: Penetration of the Producers of Hazardous Products into Global Health Environment Requires a Strong Response; Comment on “Addressing NCDs: Challenges From Industry Market Promotion and Interferences”

Timely warnings and examples of industry interference in relation to tobacco, alcohol, food and breast milk substitutes are given in the editorial by Tangcharoensathien et al. Such interference is rife at national levels and also at the global level. In an era of ‘private public partnerships’ the alcohol and food industries have succeeded in insinuating themselves into the global health environment and their influence is seen in key recommendations regarding non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in United Nations (UN) reports. The absence of legally binding health treaties in these areas facilitates this industry engagement and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control provides a valuable model to apply to control of other hazardous products

The Case of the Cardiac Embolus (A true short story, a mystery)

An iron ball, perfectly imbedded in the right ventricle of the heart, was found in a farm-butchered steer. The heart had been removed whole and set aside during the butcherIng. Placed in refrigeration, it was a number of days before the farmer was ready to use it. When preparing the heart for household use his knife struck something very hard. Cutting on around the center exposed a steel ball approximately two inches in diameter, neatly filling the right ventricle. The surrounding tissues had shaped themselves to the embolus