Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 14, 1995 TAG: 9509140084
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-16 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
``Hidden Hazards Number Two'' is the second 10-item menu of menace compiled by the Coalition for Consumer Health and Safety and offered free by the group, which is made up of insurance, public-interest and consumer organizations.
This year's record of risks includes alcohol-drug interactions, smokeless tobacco and low-fat desserts.
Low-fat desserts?
That's right. ``Nonfat desserts are not necessarily nonfattening,'' warned James Edwards of CUNA Mutual Insurance Group.
Many people mistake low-fat for low-calorie, he said. But often low-fat or fat-free foods pack plenty of sugar calories. The low-fat label can mislead dieters, causing them to binge on these foods, he said.
And washing those tasty muffins down with a glass of water may not be as safe as people would hope either.
The parasite cryptosporidium can survive chlorine and many filtration systems, potentially threatening millions of people.
Lisa Ragain of the National Association of People with AIDS said individuals with weak immune systems are most at risk, though anyone can be sickened by the parasite. She recommended boiling water, using special filters or buying certain bottled water for people at risk.
Sherri Watson of the American Lung Association warned of the dangers of carbon monoxide from stoves and heaters, while Mary Ellen Fise of the Consumer Federation of America noted the hazards of the interaction of alcohol and medications - even common items such as aspirin.
Other hidden hazards discussed in the new brochure include unsafe installation of child safety seats in cars, guns in the home, falls by the elderly, new strains of AIDS and the dangers of older cribs.
Each listing describes the hazard and discusses how to avoid the danger.
Consumers can obtain a copy of the brochure by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Hidden Hazards, CFA, P.O. Box 12099, Washington, D.C., 20005-0009.
by CNB