Fishbowl+Content

Addiction:



**In the United States 440,000 people will die annually from a cigarette related disease. More deaths are caused by tobacco use then by alcohol use, illegal drug use, suicides, car accidents, murders, and HIV COMBINED.**

NicVAX is a vaccine that has been developed and is now in clinical trials (being tested with people by universities and hospitals to make sure it is safe for general use). NicVax works by tricking your immune system into treating nicotine like a foreign invader. The immune system responds by developing antibodies that cruise through your blood and bind to nicotine (eventually it is then caught and destroyed by a white blood cell). Normally nicotine is so small that it easily diffuses from blood vessels and into the synapse between brain cells, where it produces the pleasure that is the source of addiction. When trapped by an antibody the nicotine can no longer diffuse from the blood to the brain. Nicotine can no longer reach the brain, so tobacco products can no longer produce any pleasure.

Obviously this vaccine would be a huge help to the many smokers that are having a difficult time quiting. Many parents are also excited. After all, early inoculation of the vaccine (receiving the vaccine as a toddler) would protect young people from the dangers of addiction. Moreover if the technique works for nicotine it might also be applicable to alcohol and other drugs.

What do you think about the topic? Should parents be allowed to "protect" their children from potential harm and addiction with NicVax the same way they can choose vaccination against chickenpox or measles?

About 34% of Americans are obese (10% or more above a healthy body weight for their height). The average rate of Obesity in Europe is 11%. The direct obesity related medical costs in the United States exceeded 147 BILLION dollars last year, and the US spends about $1.8 trillion a year in medical costs associated with diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, which are all linked to obesity (to contrast the federal government spent 42 Billion on education in 2008). In children and adults obesity is linked to depression, trouble sleeping, trouble breathing, and several medical conditions.

Easy access to cheap, unhealthy fast food and packaged "junk food" and soft drinks has contributed to this epidemic. Many medical groups advocate for treating such foods the way we treat tobacco: Restricting advertising, placing a heavy tax of junk food to discourage use and subsidize (partially pay for) the high cost of fresh fruits and vegetables, and banning junk foods from public schools.


 * Please vote your opinion in the survey below. Then reply to the 3-2-1 post for your class section about the film "supersize me". __At the end of your 3-2-1 please explain your reasons for your votes in the survey.__ **

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 * Don't Forget your 3-2-1 post below! **

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** You, and every living thing your eyes can see, are made up of many cells working together as a multicellular creature. These cells differentiate to do very different things, but still depend on each other for survival  (picture on right). **
 * Most life on this planet consists of single celled creatures, like the bacteria on the left. They feed, grow, copy their DNA, and then divide. They are the dominant life form on the planet. **

** What do you think are the ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES of being multicellular? Click on your class period below to post your response to this topic. Remember, the challenge is to not repeat what someone else has said. **