Observations

Summertime. Just the word conjures up visions of backyard cookouts, softball games, bicycle rides, or swimming. Unfortunately, it's also the time of year that people are most likely to be injured.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), nearly 4 million Americans went to hospital emergency rooms during June, July, and August 2001, with injuries resulting from use of consumer products, such as bicycles, barbecue grills, scooters, and thousands of toys and other products under the agency's jurisdiction.

Some summertime hazards are obvious-for example, lounging in the sun without wearing sunscreen, riding a bike without a helmet, or playing around a charcoal or gas grill. Others, like ticks, mosquitoes, or going barefoot, may be less apparent.

Statistics compiled by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign confirm that July is the deadliest time of year for kids. Long, warm days, the likelihood that children are out of school during the month, and the number of families traveling by car are among the likely reasons, according to the group.

Our cover story titled "A Primer on Summer Safety," takes a look at common summer hazards and provides tips from FDA experts and other health professionals on how to have a safe-and fun-summer.

In December 2003, the first diagnosis in the United States of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as mad cow disease, spurred emergency investigations in this country and in Canada. It also prompted regulatory changes by the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The agencies bolstered existing safeguards to protect public health and livestock from the fatal, brain-wasting disease.

The USDA and Canadian officials determined that the infected cow had come to Washington state from Canada. Once informed that the tissue from the cow had tested positive for the disease, teams of FDA investigators in the agency's Seattle district took immediate action. The FDA, along with the USDA, worked to destroy any parts of the infected cow.

Our feature story titled "Agencies Work to Corral Mad Cow Disease," describes the government's reaction to the nation's first diagnosed case of BSE. For a behind-the-scenes look at how the FDA's Seattle District Office mobilized to deal with the emergency, see our accompanying feature titled "FDA Investigators Respond to Mad Cow Emergency," beginning on page 36.

We also take a look at a Department of Health and Human Services initiative to combat the obesity epidemic in the United States, revised guidelines on mercury in fish issued by the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the FDA's strategies to halt counterfeits.

Ray Formanek Jr.
Editor

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