July 6, 2026: In response to a request for public comments, NCHR wrote to the FDA strongly supporting the continuation of the National Youth Tobacco Survey for 2027-2029. NCHR emphasized that NYTS is essential for tracking youth tobacco and nicotine use, including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and other emerging products, and for understanding whether new products contribute to combustible cigarette use, dual use, or sustained nicotine addiction. The survey provides critical data to guide prevention, enforcement, education, and evidence-based tobacco control policies that can be used to reduce addiction and dangerous heath habits by children and adolescents.
Read More »Keeping Children & Teens Healthy
Which Sunscreen Should You Use?
Other than the 15 minutes of sunshine we all need for our daily requirement of vitamin D, staying out of the sun should always be the first choice for skin cancer prevention. However, there are ways to reduce the damage your skin gets from the sun.
Read More »Artificial Sweeteners: Do They Help You Lose Weight or Gain it? Are they Safe?
When people want to treat themselves to something sweet without having to treat themselves to a larger pants size too, they often reach for low-calorie, artificial sweeteners. But do artificial sweeteners actually help you lose weight? The answer is apparently not — and there are concerns about their safety if consumed in large quantities.
Read More »NCHR Comments on Regulating Menthol in Tobacco Products
June 6, 2022. We strongly support the proposed tobacco product standards that would prohibit menthol in cigarettes and prohibit characterizing flavors in all cigars. While the proposed product standards are an important first step, we also urge FDA to prohibit menthol in all e-cigarettes and related products, in addition to enforcing efforts to prohibit fruit, dessert, and some other flavored cartridge-based sales. Through such efforts, there is a significant opportunity to reduce nicotine addiction in the United States, particularly among young people who increasingly suffer from that addiction as they grow older.
Read More »Helping Your Child Develop a Healthy Microbiome
Research is underway about how the microbiome develops in children. Research suggests that babies born vaginally have different microbiomes compared to babies born via caesarean section (C-section). This article focuses on ways to promote microbiome development in children, describing when there is good research evidence (such as breastfeeding) and when we don’t yet have enough research evidence (such as fecal matter transfers and vaginal seeding procedures).
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