I wrote in my previous column about the pros and cons of eating fish. Many of you liked the information I gave but some remarked to me that "they didn’t like fish, (neither the smell nor taste) and if I could advise on foods that have the essential Omega-3 fatty acids for good health. There are plenty of other foods groups that contain Omega-3 but not in such high concentrations as fish. These are the better ones: wild rice, kidney beans, melon, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, Boston lettuce, grape leaves, mungo beans, cherries, gouda and parmesan cheese. Toss some of these items together for a meal and you’ve upped your Omega-3 quotient. There, that should make some of you non-fishies happy.

Now, we all know that smoking is banned in public places in our lovely state of Delaware. For those who were used to smoking in bars, we now have a unique item to allow smokers their nicotine fix. It’s called Nicowater. Yep, you drink your nicotine from a bottle of water! The manufacturer states that is was designed for adult smokers who suffer from the symptoms of tobacco cravings. What will they think of next! Nicowater is being marketed as a homeopathic drug. A group of public health groups have complained to the FDA to pull Nicowater off the market. As of now, the FDA has not taken any action. Stay tuned. Kind of reminds you when, at the turn of the century, Coca-Cola had real cocaine in it. How times have changed, or have they?

Remember a couple of issues back I did an article on seniors going over America’s border to Canada and Mexico to buy their needed drugs at big savings? I’ve been watching the progress of this issue over the past weeks and it’s very disturbing to me. First the drug companies complained because you were getting a discount over the border because they charged too much for their prescription drugs here in the good ol’ U.S. of A! They tried to get the FDA to put a stop to this practice by making it illegal to purchase drugs outside of America’s borders. The FDA balked at that, so the drug companies in their infinite wisdom have informed the citizens of the US that the drugs they purchase over the border may be counterfeit. May be? No real proof, but the FDA is looking into passing a law prohibiting you from purchasing drugs over the border because they may be counterfeit. They said they’re doing this for your protection. Our protection? Sure looks like they’re looking out for the drug makers’ protection. Does that mean that there are no counterfeit drugs sold here in the US? I hardly think so. That’s a bitter pill we really can hardly afford to swallow, eh?

In a similar article I just found out that two states— Massachusetts and Illinois—are looking to purchase less expensive prescription drugs from Canada. They are looking out for the well being of their state residents by looking for ways to cut the high cost of medications. And do you know what? They are in defiance of federal regulations. Now, who’s looking out for whom? Illinois alone struggles to pay rates that increase 15 to 20 percent every year. They hope they can save some money on health plans for state employees and retirees. Seems Massachusetts is in the same boat. Their health care costs have skyrocketed and they’ve suffered from cutbacks from federal programs, so that they have to foot more and more of the ever increasing prices for health care and drugs. It shows that high drug prices are hurting states as well as individuals.

In the meantime, the Justice Department, acting on an FDA complaint, went to court in Oklahoma to shut down RX Depot. Thousands of Americans go to RX Depot to purchase their prescriptions. RX Depot is located in Canada and operates 85 stores in 26 states. Does this company sound like it’s selling counterfeit drugs? With 85 stores—hardly! The owner and co-founder vowed to fight this in court. Get this now—FDA Associate Commissioner William Hubbard said the court ordered action was necessary because of a complaint driven by public health concerns. My take on this is that it’s driven by excessive dollars and bottom line profits to the drug companies. What’s your take on this? And I ask you once more, "Who’s looking out for whom?"

And my last update to a previous column involves diabetes. Hold on to your seats. Seems that one in three Americans born in the early part of this century will develop adult onset diabetes—that’s a real epidemic. These rising rates are attributed to the increasing incidence of obesity among Americans, and that is because obesity has itself become an epidemic. Having diabetes can shave 10 to 15 years off a victim’s life. Medical experts say people can lessen their risk through diet and exercise. Let me repeat that again—one in three will develop diabetes in their adult life. Don’t let this happen to you or your kids. Your life and quality of life depend on it.