The Canadian Vaping Association questions why Nova Scotia has yet to produce any data showing a decline in youth vaping since its flavour ban
BEAMSVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vape product flavour restrictions have been positioned by youth advocacy groups and some health organizations as the best way to prevent youth vaping. As a result, several provinces have implemented various versions of a flavour ban, with the Northwest Territories and the federal government now considering following suit.
The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) has repeatedly cautioned governments that flavour bans have proven unintended consequences, such as increased smoking, strengthened black-markets and small business closures. Tobacco control and addictions experts have echoed this sentiment, through calls for a more balanced regulatory approach that appropriately balances the lives of adult smokers with youth protection.
“We often use the term unintended consequences to describe the negative effects of flavour bans, but after many years of advocacy and replicated research, these consequences are known. It would be more apt to call the consequences what they really are – collateral damage,” said Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Counsel to the CVA Board.
“The conversation around these bans has been so focused on if they are justified, that no one seems to be asking if they even work. Governments continue to cite Nova Scotia as a model for the [flavour] ban, but Nova Scotia has yet to produce any data on youth vaping rates following the ban,” said Tempest.
Nova Scotia’s 2021 financial statements display a dramatic increase in cigarette sales. “Tax revenue was $11.5 million or 5.9 per cent higher than the estimate primarily due to an increase of 5.6 per cent in the consumption of cigarettes.”
Further, an independent firm conducted an in-depth scan of the illicit market operating in Nova Scotia since the flavour ban was enacted over a year ago. The findings were clear, prohibition and ineffective enforcement have made the situation far worse while exposing youth and consumers to unregulated products. The report concluded that the flavour ban did not prevent access as intended and instead pushed vapers back to smoking, while removing the regulatory environment that served to protect youth.
“There is no justification for knowingly pushing vapers back to a product that kills half its users. Proponents of these bans have yet to produce any real world modelling to suggest that flavour bans reduce youth experimentation without harming adult smokers,” concluded Tempest.
Organon Canada Declares Paid Time Off for All Employees on International Women's Day; All Employees in Canada to Focus on Their Own Health in Recognition of Growing Women's Health Inequity
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on women, Organon and the Alberta Women's Health Foundation issue a call to action for other leaders to create opportunities to focus on women's health in Canada
KIRKLAND, QC, Feb. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Organon Canada, a subsidiary of Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global women's health company, is designating International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8 as a day to recognize the growing health disparities women face that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, IWD has focused on accelerating gender parity. Organon recognizes the need for a global effort to address her health and is starting with its own employees by providing paid time off this year for all employees to attend to their own health needs. In Canada, Organon Canada will offer that paid time off to 125 employees. The company invites organizations in Canada and across the globe to join in raising awareness of the inequity in women's health and to adopt initiatives that help women prioritize their health.
Women have worked hard to advance in the workplace, but the pandemic is unraveling these hard-fought gains. A recent study on women in the workplace in the United States has shown that women are now significantly more burned out than ever, even more than meni which can take a huge toll on their physical and mental health. According to the Canadian Women's Foundation, a recent poll showed that women in Canada were carrying a bigger burden of worry about the pandemic than men.ii
"Organon launched with a commitment to listen to the needs of women and as part of our research, we learned that women are finding it harder than ever to make the time to care for even their most basic health needs," said Kevin Ali, chief executive officer, Organon. "As a company investing in innovation to improve women's health, I felt a responsibility to help address this within our own global community of almost 9,500 employees. This year, the symbolic action we are taking is to encourage all our people to spend this day off to make a commitment to their own health or the health of the women in their lives, whether that's going to the doctor, taking stock of their own wellbeing or reflecting on how to make a change."
"Organon is strongly committed to women's health in Canada and from day one, also committed to the wellbeing of our employees. We proudly join this global initiative and I want to personally invite other Canadian business leaders to join us or to adopt internal initiative to help women prioritize their health. Our workforce – and our families and our communities – can truly benefit in the long term from this investment," said Michael Casia, President and Managing Director, Organon Canada.
We believe healthy women are the backbone of a thriving, stable and resilient society and when she is healthy, she prospers and so does her community and her society, for generations to come. In its budget 2021, the Department of Finance of Canada issued a recommendation to create a National Institute for Women's Health Research to improve outcomes as "Sex and gender-related disparities continue to persist in Canada's health system. Women are more likely to die of preventable illnesses and bear a higher burden of chronic illnesses."iii This is what Organon is hoping to change and asks others to join in the effort to improve women's health.
In May 2021, the Alberta Women's Health Foundation set out to study the impacts on the pandemic on women in Alberta and found that 63 per cent of women reported pandemic stress was affecting their physical health in a negative way—including poorer diet, weight gain, reduction in exercise, difficulty sleeping, worsening of a chronic health issue, or onset of new health concerns—as well as several negative impacts on mental health. And while in poorer health, they are also facing barriers to the care they need. Related to COVID-19, more women than men (by an average of 12 per cent) reported skipping a medical appointment or having their medical appointments postponed or cancelled by a medical provider. Similarly, many appointments specific to women's health, such as mammograms and Pap tests, were postponed due to the pandemic.iv
"There is still a lot to be done to help close the gaps in women's health, to remove barriers to care, and give women what they deserve—an equal chance to be healthy. As the research shows, the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women and highlighted additional limitations on women's ability to pursue their own health, such as increases in already-lopsided unpaid caregiving duties, increased rates of depression and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women, and a plethora of economic impacts, "said Sharlene Rutherford, President and CEO, Alberta Women's Health Foundation. "We applaud this leadership and bold action taken by Organon to demonstrate a commitment to meeting the unmet health needs of women and are proud to stand with them to help bring this crucial conversation to the forefront."
We believe that by improving the understanding of women's health needs, we are one step closer to closing the inequity gap. Organon and the Alberta Women's Health Foundation urge all organizations to join in this mission and be part of the solution.
About Organon
Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck, (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, to focus on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Organon has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the women's health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon's products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in innovation and future growth opportunities in women's health. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.
Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,500 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Alberta Women's Health Foundation(AWHF) aims to foster equity in women's health, close gaps that exist in research today, and connect pathways from lab to life; all of which advance clinical care at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women and other women's health centres across Alberta and beyond. An initiative of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, the AWHF supports over 160 researchers at the Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI), whose research projects focus specifically on women's health.
Meet 7 Inspirational Women Who Changed Their Stories and Changed Their Worlds
Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 2, 2022 — Can something as simple as a story change the lives of others? Do you ever wonder if your life — your story — matters?
“Of course, it does,” says international speaker and sought-after story expert, Linda Olson. “Everyone has a story, and your story can bring transformation and impact into the word today.”
In Olson’s latest book, Story Matters! Empowering Your Hope When Going Through Tough Times, sheprovides real-life examples of seven ordinary women who faced major challenges. These women embraced their stories and learned to rise above nearly insurmountable obstacles. They did it through strength, courage and their faith in God, and they are sharing their stories to light a path forward for others facing difficult circumstances.
In this book, readers will learn:
- How a single woman rose above childhood trauma to conquer fear and loneliness.
- How a young mother moved through grief and loss when her young child was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
- How a caring sister became embroiled in a devastating lawsuit and discovered that forgiveness is a choice.
- How a middle-aged woman, faced with a choice to live or die, once again found joy.
- How a career woman who achieved the many pleasures of the world discovered her real fulfillment was through commitment.
- How a college student fulfilled her dream, only to find out her real dream lay deep within her.
- How a teenager, devastated by the death of her brother, became a professional storyteller.
“All of these women wanted to give in and give up because they felt themselves giving out,” Olson said. “But something kept them going!”
And now they’re using the power of their stories to make a difference.
Linda Olson is the go-to story expert who helps authors, speakers and entrepreneurs impact millions with their stories. She is a TEDx Speaker, multiple bestselling author and founder of Wealth Through Stories.Her mission is to impact a million people a year with multiple authors in her series, Story Matters! Linda and her husband, Rick, reside in sunny California. They enjoy their two married daughters, sons-in-law and five adorable grandchildren who are the best part of their story.
Collective action key to creating change that will lead to better, safer roads for all
Change for Good Roads is a new initiative from Parachute, Canada's national charity dedicated to injury prevention, that brings together a wide range of sectors committed to improving urban road safety in Canada.
TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Environment. Inclusion and equity. Accessibility for the elderly and those with disabilities. All these improve when urban roads are designed to be safer through strategies such as improved access to public transit, dedicated bike infrastructure, walkable and more connected neighbourhoods and slower, more controlled traffic.
While advocating for safer roads traditionally has been the purview of injury-prevention champions such as Parachute, so many others, motivated by other goals, want to improve how we move in our urban communities. The Change for Good Roads initiative is the beginning of a national movement to bring together all these parties and strengthen our advocacy.
"Collective action across sectors is the missing link in driving positive change in urban road safety," says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute. "Safe, healthy and sustainable urban roads are only possible if we treat the underlying issues as a complex problem, one that involves not only urban planning, but also public health, engineering, recreation and many other sectors, and includes a focus on issues such as inclusion, equity, sustainability, and community. It's at this intersection of interests that sustainable changes in road safety will occur. Road safety is everyone's business: different populations have different needs and priorities but the safety of our roads affects us all."
Representatives from 17 organizations – from cycling groups to 880 Cities and CNIB – worked together throughout fall 2021 guided by Impakt, an organization that fosters thought leadership and helps corporations and civil society organizations solve social problems, to apply their proven Change for Good approach to support the development of a clear and cohesive strategy to support a Parachute-led collective of road safety advocates. This initiative will grow and expand to include others from government, academics, NGOs, advocates and the private sector.
This initiative has defined five strategic areas of focus to encourage unified action from across all sectors to create safe, active, healthy and sustainable urban roads across Canada.
Collaborate and communicate. Establish universal standards for safe roads, promote national and local buy-in, develop a shared language and create a unified vision.
Change the culture of road use. Lower speeds, build safer cars, support multi-modal transportation and address low perception of safety for cyclists and pedestrians. We can shift the culture around road use by ending victim blaming and promoting accountability; rethink who uses the roads; eliminate preventable deaths; and share success stories.
Transform data practices. Share data between sectors; use appropriate measures of impact; prioritize equity; collect more detailed data – for example, racial data and contextual details surrounding a road collision.
Champion equity and accessibility. Redefine accessibility; design roads for everyone; make the healthy choice the easy choice; create equity in the built environment; remove bureaucratic barriers to change.
Engage communities in co-creation. Prioritize co-creation when it comes to road design and use over consultation; emphasize safety as an effective motivation for embracing change; enable meaningful and ongoing community engagement.
"We have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic that cities have fast-tracked initiatives to promote active transportation, such as implementing new bike lanes, and these have been embraced by the public," said Valérie Lavoie, President and Chief Operating Officer, Desjardins General Insurance Group. "We need to continue this momentum toward safer, healthier roads, and Desjardins Insurance is pleased to participate in Change for Good Roads and support the collective's commitment to creating safer roads for all."
Read the full report, Change for Good Roads: An intersectoral approach to urban road safety, which also outlines how this initiative is built upon the foundation of The Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, launched in October 2021 by the World Health Organization. This Global Plan acts as a guiding document to support the implementation of the Decade of Action, which has the ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030.
We acknowledge Transport Canada for providing funding for this initiative.
About Parachute Parachute is Canada's national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 44 and costs the Canadian economy $29.4 billion annually. Through education and advocacy, Parachute is working to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries. For more information, visit us at parachute.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Desjardins Group Desjardins Group is the largest co-operative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $391 billion. It was ranked as one of the Canada's Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry.
SOURCE Parachute
Heart Month: The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation Launches an Awareness Campaign to Promote the Importance of Research in the Fight Against Cardiovascular Disease
MONTREAL, Feb. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- February is Heart Month, a time to bring attention to the importance of cardiovascular health. The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) is launching a vast awareness campaign about the importance of research in the fight against cardiovascular disease. Through a fundraising campaign, the publication of its second magazine and interviews with various experts, the Foundation will invite the public to support the Montreal Heart Institute’s (MHI) promising projects to overcome the world’s leading cause of death.
Cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels. Here are some key facts.
The main risk factor is hypertension, which alone is responsible for 20% of deaths worldwide.i
Hypertension onset before age 45 doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality.ii
In Canada, cardiovascular disease affects approximately 2.4 million adults.iii
Every year, 70,000 Canadians suffer a heart attack.iv
More than 80% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by adopting five healthy lifestyle habits: stop smoking, maintain healthy body weight, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet.v
Research, Crucial to Saving Sensitive Hearts For 45 years, the MHIF community has been strongly committed to a common goal: protecting sensitive hearts. Every year, research brings us closer to this important goal. The generosity of the Foundation’s donors is one of the reasons why the MHI Research Centre has one of the highest average funding levels per researcher in Canada. Such invaluable support makes it possible to innovate by designing future medicine. This will transform cardiovascular disease, particularly through improved management and patient care. In fact, in the next ten years, research could reduce incidents of cardiovascular disease by 50%.
It is for patients like Philippe Marcotte that medical research takes its full meaning. Victim of a heart attack at only 38 years old, he underwent a triple bypass. This surgical procedure consists of restoring normal blood circulation by bypassing the blocked arteries with other blood vessels. Following this intervention, his medical exams will reveal that he has heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, a form of hereditary cholesterol that has caused him to suffer numerous silent heart attacks since his late twenties. After trying a first medication that was not effective in reducing his cholesterol level, he decided to take part in a clinical study at the MHI Research Center to test repatha. Thanks to this medication, which he still takes today, his cholesterol level fell below the risk threshold for heart attack and he enjoys a good quality of life.
Prevention, a Key Ally Prevention is the best way to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. For Heart Month, the MHI’s experts have teamed up with nutritionist Isabelle Huot to present two interviews that will be broadcast live on the MHI and Isabelle Huot’s Facebook pages.
February 2 at 12:15 p.m.: Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease With Dr. Martin Juneau, Director of Prevention at the MHI
February 9 at 12:15 p.m.: The Benefits of Nature on Cardiovascular Health With Dr. Louis Bherer, Neuropsychologist at the MHI
“A healthy diet plays a significant role in both primary and secondary prevention and the Mediterranean diet has largely proven its benefits in the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” says Isabelle Huot, doctor of nutrition. “I invite all Quebecers to reduce their meat consumption to leave more room for vegetables proteins and fish. A movement that is already underway that can only bring benefits on the health.”
The doctor of nutrition also maintains that particular attention should be paid to fruits and vegetables. Today, one in two people does not meet the recommended minimum of 5 servings whiles studies show more benefits with a consumption of 7 to 10 servings a day. Other tips from the nutrition expert include the consumption of whole grains, nuts and seeds which should occupy more space in our menus. Learn more about healthy eating and heart health: isabellehuot.com
About the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation Created in 1977, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation raises and manages funds to support the Institute’s innovative and priority projects and fight cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the world. Its philanthropic events and donors’ contributions have enabled this leader in cardiovascular health to become the largest cardiac research centre in the country. Over the years, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation has raised more than $336 million in donations. Its 27,235 donors have made it possible to make important discoveries and support the Institute’s specialists, professionals, and researchers to provide state-of-the-art care to tens of thousands of patients in Quebec. fondationicm.org
About the Montreal Heart Institute Founded in 1954, the Montreal Heart Institute constantly strives for the highest standards of excellence in the cardiovascular field through its leadership in clinical and fundamental research, ultra-specialized care, professional training, and prevention. It is home to Canada’s largest cardiology research centre, cardiovascular prevention centre, and cardiovascular genetics centre. The Institute is affiliated with the Université de Montréal and has more than 2,000 employees, including 245 physicians and more than 85 researchers. icm-mhi.org
DOLPHIN VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION RECEIVES APPROVAL FROM HEALTH CANADA FOR TREATMENT OF COVID-19 ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS (ARDS)
TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Center for Pain & Stress Research Ltd., a bioelectronic medical research company, today announced that its Dolphin VNS device has received breakthrough approval from Health Canada as Canada's first Vagal Nerve Stimulation Therapy specifically for treating COVID-19.
The Vagus Nerve represents 80% of our bodies parasympathetic "brakes" and NATURALLY controls our breathing and anti-inflammatory responses. Vagus nerve is a natural defense against COVID-19 ARDS.
As North American COVID-19 related deaths reaching the 1 million milestone, this effective, safe & approved COVID-19 therapy SHOULD be shared by the media with the public.
Dolphin Vagal Nerve Stim Applications: PREVENTION: Dolphin may be applied to preventatively to friends, FAMILY members or front-line workers to enhance vagal tone & improve immunity. (Home application time <15 min). ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS: Dolphin Vagal Stim can IMMEDIATELY enhance respiratory functioning, providing a potentially lifesaving intervention into any hospital, clinical or HOME setting (applied in under <10 min/patient). COVID-19 LONG HAUL RECOVERY: Dolphin Vagal Stim may be applied by front line workers or the suffering public to improve vagal tone/immunity and therefore reduce risk of serious COVID-19 hospitalization.
DOLPHIN VAGAL STIM KIT: The Dolphin Vagal Nerve Stimulator (VNS) Kit comes with Dolphin device, Vagal Up protocol manual and instructions for at-home or clinical application. Dolphin Vagal Nerve Stimulator (VNS) Kit retails for $699.00 Cdn and may be purchased directly from the company's website.
St. Paul, MN, Feb. 2, 2022 — How does a nation, and a world, respond to one of the greatest public health crises of our times? And at what cost?
With the logic of a lawyer and the scientific expertise of an immunologist, Hugh McTavish, J.D., Ph.D., walks readers through the COVID-19 pandemic and the policy decisions that were made to keep the virus in check in his eye-opening book, COVID Lockdown Insanity. Dr. McTavish’s fact-filled exploration reaches beyond the simple metrics of case and death counts and reveals the unsettling consequences of society’s responses to this disease. His careful examination of the scientific evidence related to COVID-19 transmission and his analyses of both the human and economic costs of the lockdown strategy illuminate the dysfunctionality of the government’s policy response. In the end, he lights a path toward making more enlightened decisions that offer hope of real solutions.
In the book, Dr. McTavish dissects the data that shows:
- The COVID lockdowns threw 63 million Americans into major depression.
- All evidence suggests that the lockdown response to COVID failed to decrease COVID deaths at all.
- Even if the lockdowns prevented 200,000 COVID deaths, which they probably did not, the lockdowns caused more loss of life in increased suicides, drug overdose deaths, cancer deaths and heart disease deaths than they saved in prevented COVID deaths.
- For every 1 COVID death prevented, the lockdowns caused these harms: 1/3 of a death of despair (suicide or drug overdose); 316 people thrown into major depression; 127 people out of work; 350 students out of school; 1,640 people denied the right to live their lives as they wish.
- Mask wearing has “little or no effect” on COVID cases or deaths.
- Hand washing and hand sanitizer use is the best intervention and could dramatically reduce COVID deaths, but this was underemphasized.
- Asymptomatic people very rarely spread COVID.
- Children do not spread COVID, and closing schools had no effect on COVID spread at all, and we knew that by the summer of 2020, and CDC staff wrote a paper saying so in January 2021.
In conclusion, Dr. McTavish says, “Lockdowns have no advantage at all. If you think life is better than death, a long life is better than a shorter life, happiness is better than depression, more money is better than less, education is better than ignorance, child abuse and domestic abuse are bad things, and more personal freedom is better than less, then you agree the lockdowns were a mistake.”
Hugh McTavish is a Ph.D. biochemist and immunologist and a patent attorney. He has authored 18 refereed scientific journal articles and is the inventor of 21 U.S. patents. He has also written two prior books on public policy and nature. He has started two pharmaceutical companies off his own inventions. He lives near St. Paul, Minnesota.
COVID Lockdown Insanity: The COVID Deaths It Prevented, the Depression and Suicides it Caused, What We Should Have Done, and What It Shows We Could Do Now to Address Real Crises
Dying to Survive: Not in Vain, A Promise Kept ExploresLife and Death Impact of Patient Advocacy
New York, NY, Feb. 2, 2021 — They were killing her mother with negligence, Melissa Mullamphy recalls. And eight months later, Mullamphy’s mother succumbed following a cancer battle fraught with frustration, medical missteps and the endless bureaucracy that goes hand in hand with navigating our complex healthcare system.
Not in Vain, A Promise Kept isMullamphy’s candid account of her mother’s journey and the family’s roller coaster of emotions. Readers will witness the mistakes that compounded their pain, the small victories that gave them hope, and above all, the love that kept them going during an indescribably difficult time.
Each chapter in Not In Vain, A Promise Kept represents one month from her mother’s diagnosis to her passing. Mullamphy recalls the experiences with vivid detail (the names of doctors and nurses have been changed), hoping to prompt others to ask the tough questions and learn by her example.
“My goal in writing this book is to keep the promise that I made to my mom … to share her story so others don’t go through what she and my family went through,” Mullamphy says. “You can have input, control and make a difference in your loved one’s healthcare.”
Mullamphy shares shocking lapses in her mother’s care, including blood clots the doctor fails to notice, the confusion surrounding her mother’s DNR order, the time she found her mother wearing another patient’s bracelet and the unspeakable heartbreak of learning that that all along, the hospital had used the wrong type of chemotherapy drug for her mother’s specific cancer.
Not In Vain, A Promise Kept is not without moments of hope, such as when the family is told the tumor has shrunk and when her mother’s last-ditch surgery to remove the tumor is declared “wildly successful.”
Ultimately, Not In Vain, A Promise Kept pays homage to a life well-lived and a woman well-loved, and it’s Mullamphy’s aim to help other patients and their loved ones find their voices, understand their rights and learn how to navigate a deeply complex, imperfect healthcare system.
“Use your voice, and remember that you are not there to make friends,” she adds. “Sometimes you have to be the biggest mouth in the room, but speaking up can save your loved one’s life.”
Author Melissa Mullamphy has a master’s degree in clinical psychology and has worked in psychiatric emergency rooms and step-down houses. Forever a student of mental health, she has also worked with many nonprofits, including those benefiting military veterans. For almost 20 years, she worked as a domestic operations manager for a major corporation. Following her experience with her mother’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, she began blogging about current events as they relate to healthcare.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Here’s some good news. Vancouver’s largest health food and supplement store Body Energy Club (BEC) is launching a new sustainable grab-and-go shopping initiative to reduce its environmental impact, moving toward a zero-waste future. This initiative is a bulk-supplements pilot program called BEC by the Gram. It aims at reducing packaging waste in Vancouver’s communities while also providing great savings during these unprecedented times.
Starting with BEC’s Gastown store location, BEC’s customers can now purchase some of their favourite supplements in bulk-form, charged by weight, and take them home in a sustainable bag.
Body Energy Club’s founder Dominick Tousignant explains: “When we see empty packages and containers littering the streets of our beautiful city, it breaks our heart. Time is of the essence for food industry members, and more specifically health brands to innovate and offer more sustainable packaging options to its already savvy and eco-friendly customers”. “The demand is there and we’re making sure we keep our promise to be part of the solution for our communities and our future: this is another example of our efforts to practice good stewardship to Mother Nature with our environmentally friendly and sensible business practices”.
While sustainability is the predominant driving force behind launching this program, convenience for the customer is also a focus. Without an assortment of plastic containers at home, shelf space can be freed up. Filling glass jars, paper bags, or just refilling existing plastic containers can cut down on clutter. As the program rolls out to more BEC locations, the company also plans to invite customers to bring their own containers directly to the store and fill them, removing the paper bags from the equation.
Here are simple tips for smart bulk shopping:
Consider your storage space
Clean your reusable packaging
Purchase bulk as a group for cost savings
Pay attention to shelf life
BEC by the Gram is starting with 30 products. These range from their popular vegan and whey protein powders, spirulina, L-glutamine, creatine, maca and collagen, to adaptogenic gummies. There’s something for everyone in its By the Gram section! The BEC by the Gram pilot program is at the Gastown store (126 W Hastings, Vancouver. Tel.: 604-288-7009).
Helping Ensure Workflow Accuracy of Tests for Respiratory Viruses
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, OTCQX: MBXBF, Microbix®), a life sciences innovator and exporter, announces the expansion of its portfolio of Quality Assessment Products (“QAPs™”) to include a swab-formatted control that helps validate the accuracy and integrity of the workflows of nucleic-acid based tests (e.g., “PCR” tests) for SARS-CoV-2 (“COVID”) Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant (“Omicron”) – the latter now being the most prevalent form of COVID.
Specifically, Microbix is commercializing its In-Vitro Diagnostic (“IVD”) quality control to support workflow accuracy of clinical laboratory PCR tests that aim to detect and differentiate SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and Omicron infections. This innovative, proprietary, and branded control provides a fully-compliant, comprehensive, and cost-effective quality management tool to help avoid the systemic errors that can be driven by technicians, consumables, or instruments. Users of this IVD control will include lab accreditation agencies, makers of tests oriented to clinical labs or point-of-care, and clinical labs or medical clinics.
This Microbix Omicron QAP is made using Copan® FLOQSwabs® – the optimal format for accuracy and point-of-care use, and with room-temperature stability for 12 months. As for all Microbix’s QAPs, this latest IVD control contains all possible PCR targets and is validated on multiple test platforms. This new QAPs SKU is labelled REDx™FLOQ® SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 SWAB POSITIVE CONTROL and is now available to support clinical laboratory quality management systems (“QMS”) covering central lab and point-of care workflows in both the U.S. and Canada. Research-Use-Only (“RUO”) PROCEEDx™FLOQ® versions are now available for other markets, with REDx® IVD versions to follow.
Microbix’s QAPs portfolio now consists of over 70 proprietary SKUs in the categories of respiratory, sexually-transmitted, and gastrointestinal infectious diseases. Of that portfolio, 17 QAPs are available as REDx Controls for IVD use by clinical labs. In addition to QAPs to support PCR-based testing for the most important respiratory illnesses, including all major COVID variants, Microbix also has IVD QAPs to support antigen-based respiratory pathogen tests (e.g., REDxFLOQ SARS-CoV-2 Ag). Microbix’s QAPs for PCR-test and Antigen-test support are also available as ONBOARDx™ kits that include both positive and negative controls for convenient qualification of new instruments for clinical use and for the training of laboratory staff. This portfolio of QAPs is in widespread use and can be paired with Microbix’s DxTM™ viral transport medium to enable collection and stabilization of patient test-sample specimens.
Cameron Groome, CEO and President of Microbix, commented “For optimal patient care and public health management, clinicians and lab directors need controls that can provide them justifiable confidence in the accuracy and reliability of their testing programs. Microbix’s suite of QAPs to support testing for respiratory pathogens is providing that essential support, driven by our ability to quickly respond to the emergence of new viruses or variants with pandemic-generating potential. We are pleased to add this Omicron-oriented QAP to maintain our complete coverage of all major COVID variants.”
About Microbix Biosystems Microbix develops proprietary biological technology solutions for human health and well-being, with about 100 skilled employees and sales nearing C$ 2.0 million per month. It makes a wide range of critical biological materials for the global diagnostics industry, notably antigens for immunoassays and its laboratory quality assessment products (QAPs™) that support clinical lab proficiency testing, enable assay development and validation, or help ensure the quality of clinical diagnostic workflows. Microbix antigens enable the antibody tests of over 100 international diagnostics companies, while its QAPs are sold to clinical laboratory accreditation organizations, diagnostics companies, and clinical laboratories. Microbix QAPs are now available in over 30 countries, distributed by 1WA (Oneworld Accuracy Inc.), Alpha-Tec Systems, Inc., Diagnostic International Distribution SpA., Labquality Oy, The Medical Supply Company of Ireland, R-Biopharm AG, SDT Molecular Pte Ltd, Seegene Canada Inc., and Thomas Scientific LLC. Microbix is ISO 9001 and 13485 accredited, U.S. FDA registered, Australian TGA registered, Health Canada establishment licensed, and provides CE marked products.
Microbix also applies its biological expertise and infrastructure to develop other proprietary products and technologies, most notably viral transport medium (DxTM™) to stabilize patient samples for lab-based molecular diagnostic testing and Kinlytic® urokinase, a biologic thrombolytic drug used to treat blood clots. Microbix is traded on the TSX and OTCQX, and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Forward-Looking Information This news release includes “forward-looking information,” as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, discussion of QAPs and their relevance or timing, Microbix’s business and business results, goals or outlook, risks associated with financial results and stability, development projects such as those referenced in its corporate presentation, regulatory compliance and approvals, sales to foreign jurisdictions, engineering and construction, production (including control over costs, quality, quantity and timeliness of delivery), foreign currency and exchange rates, maintaining adequate working capital and raising further capital on acceptable terms or at all, and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and represent the Company’s judgement as of the date of this new release, and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking information.
