March 07, 2012
Drug Company Coupons Are Illegal Bribes Used to Dupe Consumers, Lawsuit Alleges
Three health plans in Community Catalyst's Prescription Access Litigation coalition today filed class action lawsuits in four federal courts against eight major drug companies
BOSTON, MA - Three health plans in Community Catalyst's Prescription Access Litigation coalition today filed class action lawsuits in four federal courts against major drug manufacturers for illegally subsidizing co-payments for expensive brand-name prescription drugs such as Lipitor and Nexium through the promotion of co-pay coupons.
The lawsuit alleges that the payments by eight drug makers -- Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Meyers-Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, and Pfizer -- are illegal under a federal statute that prohibits commercial bribery because the undisclosed payments to patients and pharmacies are made through a ‘shadow claims system' designed to keep information about the presence or amount of these payments from health plans.
Community Catalyst, a national consumer advocacy organization, warns that while prescription drug coupons appear to save consumers money by reducing or eliminating co-payments, in reality they dramatically increase the cost of health care by driving up health insurance premiums and potentially causing consumers to hit benefit caps or lose coverage altogether.
"Pharmaceutical corporations are duping consumers with misleading coupons that are more about increasing corporate profits than actually reducing the cost of drugs for consumers" said Wells Wilkinson, director of the Prescription Access Litigation project at Community Catalyst. "If not stopped, the use of these deceptive coupons will increase costs for consumers' health plans by billions of dollars, contributing to higher premiums and the increasing loss of coverage and benefits for Americans."
A recent report by the Pharmacy Benefit Manager trade association (PCMA) estimates drug coupons will increase drug costs by $32 billion nationwide by 2021. Federal government health plans like Medicare consider these coupons kickbacks and have banned them; they are also banned in Massachusetts under an anti-kickback law.
The lawsuits were filed in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Newark by the AFSCME District Council 37 Health & Security Plan Trust, Sergeants Benevolent Association, the New England Carpenters, and the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 572 Health and Welfare Fund. These health plans provide drug benefits for civilian and uniformed municipals workers, retirees and their dependents throughout the City of New York, plumbers from Florida to Ohio, and carpenters throughout New England. All of these health plans are struggling to keep up with continually rising drug costs.
"Our members are harmed by these unlawful practices by drug companies because coupons offering discounts off of brand drugs don't save consumers money in the long run." says Lillian Roberts, Executive Director of AFSCME, District Council 37, a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
"By combining direct-to-consumer marketing and supermarket ‘coupon clipping,' pharmaceutical companies are steering consumers to higher priced drugs in the pursuit of greater profits" said Edward Mullins, President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, also a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Under most health plans, consumers pay a larger co-payment for expensive brand-name drugs. By subsidizing all or the majority of a consumer's co-payment, drug companies promote the sale of these expensive products over less expensive, equally effective medications. This drives up the cost of care for health plans, employers and, ultimately, consumers. In addition, consumers who stay on expensive brand-name drugs run the risk of reaching their coverage caps sooner, forcing them to either pay out of pocket or forgo important care when they need it.
"Drug company coupons are not coupons. They are high-interest loans. We save money now, but we pay the loan sharks later," said Dr. William Jordan, a practicing physician in New York City serving low-income patients.
In 2009, half of the 109 best-selling U.S. brand-name drugs were promoted by coupons, and the number of coupon subsidy programs has skyrocketed since then, from 86 in July 2009 to 362 in November 2011. Coupons are aggressively marketed to consumers by TV, radio, Internet ads, and through physicians and pharmacists. And consumers are using them up, unaware of the negative impact on their premiums. In 2010 alone, co-pay coupons were used in one-eighth of all brand-name drug purchases, or 100 million prescriptions, according to the PCMA report.
Coupons also threaten anticipated savings from so called "patent cliff drugs," the dozens of brand-name drugs going off-patent between 2010 and 2013 and competing for the first time against generic counterparts.
Aside from cost concerns, consumer advocates and policymakers are also concerned about coupons for safety reasons. For instance, the FDA is currently studying whether drug coupons can mislead consumers concerning the safety and risks of drug products.
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About Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to quality affordable health care for all. Community Catalyst works in partnership with national, state and local consumer organizations, policymakers, and foundations, providing leadership and support to change the health care system so it serves everyone - especially vulnerable members of society. For more information, visit www.communitycatalyst.org. Read or comment on our blog at http://blog.communitycatalyst.org/. Follow us on Twitter @healthpolicyhub.The 130-member Prescription Access Litigation coalition, a project of Community Catalyst, has played a major role in bringing lawsuits challenging illegal pharmaceutical industry pricing or promotional tactics. One lawsuit resulted in over $360 million in settlements with 29 of the country's largest drug makers.
Starting in August, the Obama administration's new rules on contraceptive coverage take effect. Photo Illustration by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.
Two years after its passage, the sweeping health care overhaul remains deeply controversial, with both political parties trying to use it to their advantage in the upcoming elections. As GOP lawmakers constantly deride "Obamacare" and threaten to repeal it, it's easy to forget that implementation marches on, and a number of notable changes will take effect for consumers this year.
They will, that is, unless the Supreme Court strikes down some or all of the law, including the requirement that nearly everyone have health insurance beginning in 2014. If that happens, all bets are off. Provisions that have already taken effect -- such as allowing adult children to remain on their parents' health plans until age 26 and the 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs for seniors who reach the so-called donut hole in their prescription drug plans -- could be rolled back, and provisions for 2012 cancelled. The court will hear arguments in the case later this month and a decision is expected this summer.
If the law stands, here are the major new provisions that will affect consumers this year:
Free Contraception Coverage
Starting in August, the Obama administration's new rules on contraceptive coverage that have generated such controversy take effect. That means that women in a new health plan or in an existing one that has changed its benefits enough to not be considered grandfathered under the law will be able to receive contraceptives without an out-of-pocket charge. In addition, these plans will have to provide a variety of basic women's health services, including well-woman visits (breast exams, pap smears, etc); screening for gestational diabetes; HPV testing; counseling for sexually transmitted infections; counseling and screening for HIV; and screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence.
Religious employers such as churches are exempt from the new requirement. Colleges, hospitals and other employers that are affiliated with religious institutions are not exempt, but employees at those institutions will receive free contraceptive services from their employer's insurer.
Religiously-affiliated employers have a one-year grace period to implement this change, so some employees may not receive the free benefit until August 2013.
Rebates For Consumers
Under the health-care overhaul, insurers have to spend at least 80 to 85 percent of premium revenues on medical claims and quality improvement or else rebate the difference to policyholders. In most group plans, that would mean the employer.
How much consumers can expect to receive remains an open question. An analysis by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, based on 2010 data, estimated that insurers would have returned $2 billion to consumers had the provision been in force then. The analysis said rebates would have gone to 53 percent of people in individual plans, 23 percent in small-group plans and 15 percent of large-group plan members.
In December, the Obama administration estimated that 9 million Americans might receive rebates totaling up to $1.4 billion, also based on 2010 data. The administration says some reports show insurers have been moderating their premium increases to avoid having to pay rebates. But other policy experts aren't so sure.
"My guess is that rebates will be higher [than the NAIC estimate] in 2011," says Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University who helped prepare the NAIC report. "Insurers seem to have raised their premiums based on projected increases in utilization that never occurred."
Clearer Descriptions
Beginning in September, at the start of the open enrollment season, all health plans will have to provide concise, consistent plan information aimed at allowing consumers to easily understand their benefits and compare plans.
Every plan will be required to give people a short summary of coverage and a uniform glossary of terms. It will also have to provide examples of how much the plan would cover if someone had a baby or was managing Type 2 diabetes -- two common situations that should make it easier for people to compare plans.
"This is a big deal," says Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "Some of the materials people get explaining their health plan benefits are extraordinarily confusing, and this should make it clearer."
Shrinking Doughnut Hole
The health care overhaul is slowly eliminating the 'doughnut hole.' This is the break in Medicare prescription drug benefits that, in a standard plan, begins after total drug spending by the beneficiary and the health plan exceeds $2,930 and continues until the beneficiary has hit the $4,700 out-of-pocket limit.
Last year, Medicare beneficiaries with high drug costs got a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs once they reached the doughnut hole. This year, they'll see a 14 percent discount on generic drugs as well.
Drug costs will continue to diminish in coming years, until in 2020 the doughnut hole no longer exists and Medicare beneficiaries with drug plans will simply be responsible for 25 percent of their drug costs.
Accountable Care
Last December, the administration announced that 32 health-care organizations would participate in a three-year Pioneer Accountable Care Organization program aimed at providing better, coordinated care for 860,000 Medicare beneficiaries. Providers -- including hospitals, clinics and physician groups -- that work together to improve beneficiaries' health and to bring costs down will share in the savings that they achieve.
Although Medicare beneficiaries may not realize that their health-care provider is participating in the program, they may start to notice changes in their care this year, says Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families. She leads the Campaign for Better Care, a coalition of organizations focusing on improving health-care delivery.
"For some of these folks, it may start to feel like they have a team working with them, or like their primary-care provider is developing an individualized care plan," she says. "Compared to what happens now, it could feel like a pretty big change."
Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communication organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
Complaints, product samples and medical records collected from pet owners and veterinarians suggest that at least three popular brands of jerky treats may be associated with the illnesses, according to internal Food and Drug Administration documents obtained by msnbc.com.
At least 20 people have been indicted in connection with an operation that sources say sold and distributed a potent brand of heroin that has been linked to several overdose deaths in the region.
Cialis and spirits
Cialis should not be bewitched with blood-thinners and the cup that cheers does inadequate the blood. So, it does affirm sense that mixing fire-water with Cialis can end concealed risks. Demon rum, when taken in hotchpotch with Cialis, can swell the gamble of developing determined side effects such as low blood prevail upon, dizziness, and
cialis lightning-fast indomitability rate. Some men be dressed consecration that the cup that cheers helps them pick up sexual scene, if infatuated in front sex. But this is contrary to the really that men who uphold alcohol ahead of sex regularly tip up having troubled difficulty and racing heartbeat. Hooch can also ruin ' the finesse to get an erection.
Cialis precautions
Some notable precautions should be happy while winsome Cialis. When combined with unquestioned medications Cialis can produce drug interactions. It can reveal your proficiency to trip or function awful machinery. So if you are bewitching Cialis for the purpose the opening schedule, avoid using machinery. Grapefruit mettle should not taken along with Cialis as it can magnify the uniform of this medication in bloodstream and exit some side effects. Cialis should be acclimatized with caution in the events of decreased kidney operate, decreased liver appertain to and pith problems. It should not be acclimated to in women or adolescents comprised in 18 years of age.
Cialis - Erectile dysfunction treatment
The FDA approved Cialis (tadalafil) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Cialis is branded in two forms รข€“ Cialis quotidian or Cialis a day and Cialis in search 36 hours. The to calligraphy control dosage strengths looking for Cialis a day are 2.5mg and 5mg. Tadalafil, the strong ingredient in Cialis, works as a PDE-5 inhibitor. It helps in getting an erection beside increasing blood spill to the penis. Perfectly, Cialis a day should be bewitched decidedly a broad daylight at the unaltered appoint each age to guarantee consistency. If you friend a dispense of Cialis a prime, don't squib an added headstone; in diggings of by a hair's breadth pursue with your next weight at the scheduled time. Another unexpressive of Cialis offers a large-lasting aftermath repayment for 36 hours. It has doses of 10mg and 20mg and should be bewitched 30-60 minutes erstwhile to sexual exchange, with or without a impel to extremes. If you are using Cialis in search the premier things, your doctor may ordain you the take down dosage of 10mg and then developing the Cialis dosage depending on how unexcitedly you respond to the medication. To steer clear of any side effects, do refrain from consumption of rot-gut and other drugs in combination with Cialis without discussing with your doctor.
Instant Radiance
jay-z and beyonce, russell and katy… cocoa butter and foundation? makeup artists reveal the hot new couples: product duos that prove two is better than one.— elle"when i mix a touch of chanel illusion d'ombre gel shadow in fantasme with weleda skin food, it's magic," says makeup artist romy soleimani. the concoction is a highlighter perfect for tapping on cheekbones, brow bones and lids. soleimani prefers this over conventional illuminators. "the cream creates a sheer texture, and it's not makeupy," she says.
Lovely Lip Stain
for a just-bitten lip shade that's universally flattering, makeup artist hilda levierge pairs nars lip gloss in dolce vita with c.o. bigelow rose salve and applies with a lip brush. "the salve moisturizes and plumps lips and also cuts down on the shine from the gloss," levierge says. the result is a pretty—not sticky— pink lip.on elle: beauty secrets from hollywood's top makeup artists
Dark-Circle Blaster
too much champagne, not enough sleep? when makeup artist jeffrey paul needs to mask dark undereye circles, he reaches for ysl teint radiance foundation and kevyn aucoin's the sensual skin enhancer concealer, mixing a dab of each on the back of his hand and patting under the eyes. the bespoke formula gives full coverage and is brightening—not opaque or cakey—thanks to the light-diffusing foundation. "the combo is my secret to a flawless face," paul says.on elle: tips for a flawless complexion that really work
Foundation Fix
buh-bye, redness, pores, and uneven tone. fake an airbrushed complexion with makeup artist alexis brazel's "must-do": diorskin forever foundation mixed with stila illuminating tinted moisturizer. the alchemy of the tinted moisturizer's light luminescence with the long-wearing foundation creates the illusion of "perfected, poreless skin," says brazel, who uses this trick on set for tv commercials.on elle: top winter skin care products to maintain a healthy glow
Smoky Eye Secret
transform liner in a flash. "a dab of maybelline lash discovery in very black blended with bobbi brown long-wear gel eyeliner makes the liner instantly smudgeproof," says paul, who combines the two on the lid of the liner pot and applies with an ultrathin eyeliner brush. added bonus: "it lasts through tears," paul says. brides, take note.on elle: 10 easy ways to improve your daily beauty routine
5-Second Leg Makeover
"for sexy, shimmering legs, mix palmer's cocoa butter in the palm of your hand with a few drops of m.a.c face and body foundation two shades darker than your natural tone," levierge says. the pairing masks flaws and makes legs look long and lean without the orange streaks, telltale scent, and waiting time of self-tanner (but don't worry, the waterproof foundation won't transfer onto clothes). continue reading on elle.com
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FDA clears another silicon-gel breast implant
For me,
L’Oreal Paris is a drugstore brand that just “gets it.” From
EverCreme hair creations, to Youth Code anti-aging potions, to Voluminous mascaras, you can find the brand’s products scattered all over my bathroom. (My husband even uses my Youth Code Foaming Gel Cleanser…
shhh
!)
Recently, I was sent samples of L’Oreal’s latest and greatest Spring launches. Here are a few that instantly entered my beauty product rotation:
INFALLIBLE 24 HOUR EYESHADOW ($7.95): “Long-lasting” seems to be a cosmetic catch phrase right now. 12 hour! 18 hour! Each new product promises to outlast the next.
Infallible 24 Hour Eyeshadow is a range of 12 highly pigmented colors that promises to last for a whopping…you guessed it…24 hours! Colors range from your basic browns and golds to bolder greens and purples.
I knew when I read its "crease resistant" and "fade resistant” claims that I had to pass it along to my 21 year old sister, Jamie. As a 30 year-old mom, my glamour days aren't quite over, but my nights are more take out and a movie than fancy dinners and dancing 'til dawn.
Related:
The Secret to Stay-Put Eye Makeup
Jamie has been on the hunt for a shadow that “sticks,” so this seemed like a match made in heaven. I gave her a couple of different colors and told her to go to town! After the very first day of using them, Jamie came to me with words like “amazing” and “wicked awesome.” (Yes, we’re from Boston.)
“I put it on in the morning and it was still perfect at night. The gold shadow I used is so bright. I love it! It makes your eyes pop,” she raved. Needless to say, Jamie plans on buying more colors ASAP.
As for me, the Golden Sage hue is one of my personal favorites. The consistency is somewhere between a powder and a cream, and it glides on effortlessly. I love using it wet and dry, and the little pot that it comes in has an Old Hollywood glamour vibe.
Another plus? Even though this shadow promises 24-hour wear, it washes off in a snap. No scrubbing until your skin feels like its about to peel off. Ladies, we have a winner!
MAGIC BY STUDIO SECRETS MAGIC SMOOTH SOUFFLE BLUSH ($12.95): If you’ve ever tried Studio Secrets Professional Magic Smooth Souffle Foundation, you know how light and airy it is. Magic by Studio Secrets Magic Smooth Souffle Blush is no different. Available in four colors, it looks practically whipped in the tiny jar.
Yes, cream blush can be scary, but I found this stuff to be basically foolproof. It’s almost as if it “melts” into your skin. All you need is a smidge to cast a dewy, angelic glow on your cheeks. (Seriously, people, a dab goes a long way!)
Related:
Age-Defying Makeup Tricks
You can easily build color intensity, and even use this “mousse” as a primer for your favorite powder blush. My only “con” is that I wish more colors were available!
COLOUR RICHE BALM ($7.95): Bright, bold lipstick is all the rage, but sometimes all a girl wants is a hint of tint. And that's why Colour Riche Balm has my heart! This luscious lip conditioner is creamy and hydrating, while depositing sheer color that never looks cakey! There are eight colors available, but Caring Coral is the one I’m going gaga for.
Related:
Favorite New Lipsticks, Glosses and Stains
L’Oreal promises 8 hours of continuous hydration (even once the tint fades), and I have to say that I’m a believer! You may think it sounds silly, but I love putting this stuff on before I climb into bed. I get an extra dose of glam before I shut my eyes, and in the morning my lips are soothed and smoothed.
*Disclaimer: The product(s) reviewed in this article was provided to GalTime by the public relations firm that represents the manufacturer. All opinions are those of the author.
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Genetic Destiny: Will You Look Like Your Mom?
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You can say anything to your best friend, right? Well, yes and no. Your close relationship gives you lots of leeway, but there's a fine line between honesty and insult. While you may think you've never said anything offensive to your BFF, there have likely been times when your words have inadvertently stung. Saying something as simple as "Hey, have you lost weight?" could elicit a different reaction than you expected, thanks to its loaded meaning, says Jill Melton, communication expert and author of The Power of the Zip. Read on for nine things you should never say to your best friend, plus learn better ways to get your point across.
"Don't you want children?"
Sure, there are obviously offensive comments you wouldn't make to childless friends, like what a pal once told Helen*: "Good thing you never had kids—you can hardly take care of yourself!" But even the mild-sounding Don't you want children? makes assumptions about what's going on in another person's head and life, says Melton. What if your friend desperately wants kids but is
struggling with infertility? Or what if she doesn't want to be a mother but would rather avoid an awkward conversation about her decision? When it comes to discussing kids, let your friend take the lead. "If she wants to discuss her choice, she'll bring it up herself," says Melton.
ON WOMAN'S DAY:
How to Handle Tricky Friend Situations
"You've lost weight!"
"Weight is a dirty word—period," says Lillian Glass, Ph.D., body language expert and author of The Body Language Advantage. if you're trying to give a compliment, this statement can confuse, or even insult, your friend. What if she lost weight because she's been depressed? Or perhaps she didn't think she'd lost any weight and now worries that you thought she was overweight before.
If you suspect that your friend has slimmed down, just say, You look wonderful! advises Glass. Who knows? She could look great thanks to a
fabulous haircut or new outfit; there's no need to make assumptions about what changed. That said, if a friend has dropped an alarming amount of weight and you're worried about her health, then bring it up in a way that conveys your concern, says Melton. Try, I've noticed you're looking thinner lately. Is something going on that you want to talk about?
ON WOMAN'S DAY:
What Your Best Friend Won't Tell You
"That guy you're dating? Not marriage material!"
Lisa's* friend asked her opinion about a new beau, and she gave him the thumbs-down—with friendship-fizzling results. "My pal ended up marrying the guy, and now she's distant," says Lisa. "I thought I was being a good friend by pointing out the facts, but I should have listened to my dad's reminder, 'Everyone chooses their own sweetheart,' and kept my mouth shut."
If your friend's guy seems like a bad choice to you—but she hasn't asked your opinion—then keep your judgments to yourself. Aside from having hard evidence about serious stuff (like he has a wife and kids in another city, or is a drug dealer, for example), you really don't know if he's "wrong" for her. If she does ask what you think, then "turn it back to her," suggests Melton. Try, I don't know him as well as you do. Tell me what you like and don't like about him. Then you can base what you say on her response, so your thoughts don't seem out of the blue.
ON WOMAN'S DAY:
Marriage "Rules" You Can Break
"You bought what?"
If your best friend constantly complains about tough financial times before showing up with a trendy designer bag, then it can be tempting to call her out on her spending. But a judgment-riddled Are you kidding me? What did that cost? is decidedly the wrong thing to say, because "you're not in charge of her budget. She is," says Melton. Consider, too, that you may not know where her money's coming from, says Glass: "What if she's spending a gift from someone else?" So if you notice something brand-spanking new and expensive, then just say, Wow, cool boots or What a great new car. That said, if she asks you for help managing her money (or to borrow some of yours), then gently point out ways she can trim her costs.
"Congrats on a well-deserved promotion! You've been in that position for so long."
What's the problem with a congratulatory remark? A lot, if it's actually a backhanded compliment. The above implies that your friend didn't quite earn the promotion. Instead of suggesting that anyone in her (worn) shoes would have gotten a bump at work, try a hearty, Good for you! Very impressive! suggests Melton. And if your friend suspects that she, say, got that promotion because she'd been in that job so long it would've been embarrassing not to, then leave the door open for her to discuss that with you. You should be a sounding board for your friend, not a sniper.
"How dare you not tell me [you bought a new car/got a new job/met a new guy]!"
On the one hand, says Glass, "It's reasonable to feel slighted if your good friend doesn't share news with you." It's expressing your anger over being left out that's a no-no. "Some friends don't keep you posted on everything for reasons that have nothing to do with you," says Melton. Saying something like this makes the situation all about how you feel excluded, not about what's happening in your friend's life.
When you do hear your pal's good news, just tell her, I'm so happy for you. If this happens often and you worry that your friend is keeping updates from you, then open up a discussion about it. Could it be that you haven't been that enthusiastic about her news in the past, or that you've shared her info with others without her permission? See what you could do differently before scolding her for not filling you in.
"I wish my husband were as great as yours!"
Why wouldn't it be wonderful to hear you've scored big in the life-partner department? Because the friend who says this is subtly (or not so subtly) downgrading her own spouse, which can be awkward for the person on the other side of the conversation. "A friend said that to me about my husband when she was
going through a divorce," says Shelly.* Feeling uncomfortable and unwilling to bash her friend's spouse, Shelly's taken to responding with, "Yep, he's a good guy," and changing the subject.
While occasional compliments are completely fine, avoid making comparisons: "They reveal jealousy," says Glass. If you're having problems with your partner, then you can certainly ask your happily married buddy for advice, adds Melton, "but since every relationship is unique, a comparison isn't a good way to start that conversation."
"Your wedding was so tiny!" or "You're so much bigger than I was when I was pregnant!"
What may seem like a harmless observation to you can actually come across as a cruel comparison. Anna's* friend once said, "It was good you got married first; now I know what I don't want at my wedding!" Anna was floored. Before you say something like that, examine your motives for wanting to do so, suggests Melton. Anna's friend, for example, may have wanted planning advice, and she could have told Anna what she loved about her wedding instead of cutting down her friend's choices. "Try to figure out what exactly your friend's wedding [or pregnancy] triggered in you," says Melton. Are you having second thoughts about some of your wedding choices? Worrying about how much weight you've gained by your second trimester? Once you uncover what's at the root of your observations, you can express your feelings without sounding snarky.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine."
Shelly still feels the sting of friends' trite platitudes when her mother was terminally ill, because, of course, things weren't fine. In situations like this, your friend might be worried for good reason, so saying Don't worry is dismissive, explains Melton. Instead, use your judgment based on the situation. In some cases, saying It'll be fine in a loving, sincere way can show your compassion, says Glass. But much of the time, it's better to use words that show your friend that you feel her pain, that you're pulling for her, and that you may not know what it's like to, say, lose your mother, but you're in her corner as she goes through the worst of it. A simple I'm here if you need me goes a long way, especially if you follow that up with concrete ways to help her through her rough time, whether that's picking up her kids from soccer, bringing over dinner, or just sharing some wine and company.
*Name has been changed
Beat Generation will debut at this year's Jack Kerouac Literary festival in Massachusetts, 55 years after it was written
Jack Kerouac's only full-length play will receive its world premiere this year, 55 years after it was written.
Beat Generation, a three-act play
rediscovered in a New Jersey warehouse in 2005, will be staged for the first time this October in Kerouac's hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts. The Merrimack Repertory Theatre and the University of Massachusetts Lowell will deliver eight performances of staged reading as the centrepiece of this year's Jack Kerouac Literary festival.
Written in 1957, shortly after the publication of On the Road, Beat Generation shows a day in the life of Jack Duluoz, Kerouac's drink-and-drug-fuelled alter ego. The play draws on his own life and those of other Beat writers including Neal Cassady and
Allen Ginsberg, who subsequently starred in the film Pull My Daisy, which was based in part on the play.
Kerouac had sent his work to numerous producers and actors, including Marlon Brando, in an attempt to drum up interest for a production, but after failing to do so asked his agent Sterling Lord to shelve the script.
On its rediscovery in 2005, Lord said: "It conveys the mood of the time extraordinarily well, and also the characters are authentically drawn."
The author's biographer Gerald Nicosia said at the time: "Kerouac wrote the play in one night when he returned to his home in Florida after the publication of On the Road." The play was commissioned by off-Broadway producer Leo Gavin, but remained unpublished until 2005 and unperformed until now.
"This is a moment of literary and theatrical history," said Charles Towers, artistic director of the Merrimack.
The production was announced on Monday, coinciding with the US publication of Kerouac's
"lost" first novel, The Sea Is My Brother, written when he was 21. The novel, in which two young men travel from Boston to Greenland, was published in the UK last November.
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Momentum gathers for ballot initiative that hopes to force labelling of genetically-modified ingredients – and could prompt a nationwide change in the US
In a
column last month,
New York Times
food writer Mark Bittman wondered, "Why Aren't GMO Foods Labeled?" After laying out some of the basic arguments in favor of labeling — most obviously, the contradiction between the USDA finding that genetically modified foods aren't "materially different" from non-modified foods and yet its prohibition of including GMOs within the legal definition of organic — Bittman concluded that major food companies' unwillingness to label foods containing genetically modified organisms is "demeaning and undemocratic." An overwhelming majority of Americans say they want to know if the food they're buying contains GMOs. The food processors' resistance to providing that information, Bittman argued, violates the ideals of transparency that the free market is supposed to rest on.
It looks like Bittman might get his wish. A coalition of NGOs and family farmers is working to put a
proposition on California's November ballot that would require food companies that sell in the state to put labels on their products declaring whether they are "produced with genetic engineering." If approved by voters, the California proposition (which you can read
here) would have a national ripple effect, just as the state's air rules have influenced the cars that get made in Detroit. The sheer size of the California market likely would prevent most food companies from segmenting products sold in the Golden State from those sold elsewhere; food producers would probably have to put the labels on all their products sold nationwide.
For organic food advocates, GMO labeling has been a long sought goal. "This has been a dream of many of us in the anti-GMO movement for over a decade," says Ronnie Cummins, executive director of the
Organic Consumers Association. "We realized long ago that the federal government was not going to move on the issue. Passing a mandatory labeling law in California will have the impact of a national law, because California is the most important state in the union."
In 2002, citizens in Oregon put a measure on the ballot that would have required GMO labeling. Massive spending by major food companies and the grocery lobby trounced the proposition. Then, in 2004, voters in California's Mendocino County approved a measure banning the cultivation of genetically engineered crops there. Other California counties —Santa Cruz, Marin, and Trinity — soon followed. But in recent years there's been something of a lull in national activism against GMOs, which critics say threaten biodiversity, increase corporate control of the food system, and could pose health risks to animals and people. Most of the sustainable food activism these days focuses on building alternatives to the industrial food system. Just look at young people's enthusiasm for becoming farmers, the surge in artisanal foods, and the continued growth in the number of farmers markets and CSAs. Because the USDA's definition of organic explicitly prohibits GMOs, many ag-tivists figured they could focus on building a sustainable food system parallel to the dominant industrial one and not have to worry too much about GMOs.
Recent developments have reawakened organic farmers and their supporters to the threat posed by GMOs. In October, the FDA completed a review of a super-fast growing GMO salmon, a crucial step toward approving the fish for market. AquaBounty Technologies' "AquaAdvantage salmon" would be the world's first genetically engineered fish for human consumption. Also last fall, seed and chemical conglomerate Monsanto began selling to farmers a variety of
genetically modified sweet corn. The sweet corn, which should hit supermarkets this summer, is the first genetically modified vegetable eaten directly by people. (The huge amounts of GMO canola, corn, and soy grown in the US are either fed to animals or go into processed foods.)
Then, in January, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that his agency would allow the unrestricted cultivation of
GE alfalfa. Vilsack's decision marked a major defeat for companies like Whole Foods, Organic Valley, and
Stoneyfield Yogurt that had fought hard for a ban against GE alfalfa. Dairy producers and sellers are especially worried about GE alfalfa because of how easily alfalfa seeds cross-pollinate. If — or, more accurately,
when
— GE alfalfa cross breeds with organic alfalfa, it will make it difficult, if not impossible, for dairy farmers to find organic feed for their cows. The integrity of the entire organic milk sector is at risk. That's worrisome to retailers like Whole Foods, who know that organic milk often serves as a kind of "gateway drug for organics" as new parents look for organics to feed their kids.
These threats have combined to get the attention of wealthy progressive who are funding the effort to collect the 800,000 signatures needed to get the GMO labeling initiative on the California ballot. Prominent organic growers have also signed onto the effort. The California Right to Know campaign is co-chaired by Grant Lundberg of the organic rice growers and processors
Lundberg Family Farm. In a oped published recently in the
Sacramento Bee, Grant Lundberg put the case simply: "Would you want to know if the food you are buying, eating and feeding to your children has been genetically engineered?"
Lawmakers in other states have started to push legislation modeled on the California initiative. Legislators in
Connecticut and Vermont are considering bills that would require labeling of genetically engineering foods. A state senator in
Washington pushed a similar measure. In Hawaii — a popular spot for GM crop testing, because of its tropical climate — grassroots groups are pushing a disclosure law.
The GMO seed companies, the major food processors, and the grocery store chains are getting ready to fight back. A Sacramento-based lobbyist is preparing to launch a political committee — the
Coalition Against the Costly Food Labeling Proposition — to fight the measure. That's the exact same name the industry used to fight the Oregon measure 10 years ago.
Big Food is scared for good reason. The Grocery Manufacturers Associations says that about
75 percent of processed foods found at the supermarket contain GMOs. But, according to an
NPR/ThomponReuters poll taken in 2010, 90 percent of Americans say that food labels should say whether the product contains GMOs. (Can you think of anything else that Americans agree on in numbers like that? E
ven puppies aren't as popular.) Once consumers have additional information about food containing GMOs, they will likely start shifting their purchasing habits. The NPR poll showed that just four-in-ten people would feel OK eating genetically modified meat.
The situation in Europe offers a glimpse of how food markets would be affected. Under EU law, foods containing GMOs must be labeled. The amount of land planted in GM crops is a fraction of what it is in the US —
and shrinking.
If passed, the California proposition would be a massive blow to the ill-defined "natural food" sector. Unlike products that are organic certified, there is no official definition for "natural." The California law would change that and prevent companies from using the marketing tag "natural" on products containing GMOs.
"Once you have labeling like the EU and 22 other nations, consumers will be able to tell if it has GMO ingredients and they won't be able to be hoodwinked anymore by foods that claim to be natural, but aren't natural at all," Cummins says. "The $50 billion natural food sector will shrink and the $30 billion organic food sector will increase."
Major companies like Kellogg's that have made investments in "natural food" brands will have to either drop the "natural" label — and lose sales — or find a way to source non-GMO or organic grains and oils. In the long run, the amount of land planted in organic crops should grow.
"Consumers see the [GMO] labels, consumers complain to the grocery stores, the grocery stores complain to the food processors, and the food processors start asking the farmers to grow something different," Cummins says. "It's a chain reaction that we are sure is going to happen — and it all rides on California."
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