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Policy-makers have articulated the right to education for individuals with disabilities. Nevertheless, students with disabilities remain underrepresented in universities. Students in Health and Human Service (HHS) programs experience many unique challenges that disadvantage them, such as having to complete practicums. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 students in HHS programs who identified as having a disability to explore the challenges that they experienced. We found that students had to legitimate their ability to perform the roles of student and future practitioner. This legitimization process involved three components: negotiation of the disability label, selective disclosure, and advocacy. Our findings demonstrate how subtle and insidious forms of marginalization and stigmatization work to create barriers for students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns over health and obesity have led to a range of 'better-for-you' food products targeted at consumers. This analysis examines 354 supermarket foods targeted at children in Canada, assessing the nutritional quality and types of appeals of 'better-for-you' packaged foods compared to 'regular' fare. While 'better-for-you' products fared better nutritionally (particularly for fat or sodium), high levels of sugar are evident in both categories. This analysis further examines some important considerations regarding both 'health halos' and the promotion of food as 'fun.' Overall, it reveals that products marketed to children as 'better-for-you' are as much about marketing as they are about nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada has stringent regulations covering the release of new wheat varieties, but the United States has virtually no regulations in this area. Monsanto Co. developed genetically modified (GM) spring wheat for North America, and made a commitment to the U.S. industry to release this new technology simultaneously in both Canada and the United States, or not at all. The Canadian regulatory bias against new varieties acted as a veto against GM wheat and caused Monsanto to shelve the technology in both countries in 2004. Substantial economic rents were foregone in North America due to the rejection of this new technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug regulatory agencies in the United States, Great Britain, and Canada have recently issued warnings concerning the use of antidepressants. Considerable attention has been placed on regulatory agency conclusions that antidepressants are associated with increased rates of suicidality in children. In the United States (the FDA) and Canada (Health Canada), new warnings have also been issued for children and adults concerning the production of an activation or stimulant syndrome that is known to be associated with violence and suicide. Health Canada requires a warning that selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRls) and other newer antidepressants produce in children and adults "agitation-type adverse events coupled with self-harm or harm to other," including "akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), agitation, disinhibition, emotional lability, hostility, aggression, depersonalization." The FDA requires a warning that "The following symptoms; anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia, hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric." Recent studies confirm that antidepressants are associated with adverse events that can cause aggression, hostility, and violence, as well as suicidality, in both children and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canada implemented 'plain packaging' regulations and rotating health warnings for cannabis products upon legalizing non-medical cannabis in October 2018. Plain packaging and health warnings are effective policy measures for reducing appeal of tobacco products; however, there is little evidence in the cannabis domain.Methods: An experimental task was conducted as part of the online International Cannabis Policy Study. Participants aged 16-65 from Canada (n = 9987) and US states with 'legal' (n = 7376) and 'illegal' (n = 9682) recreational cannabis were randomly assigned to see one of 18 cannabis product images. Outcomes were product appeal (0 = Not at all appealing, 10 = Very appealing) and perceived youth orientation (4 age groups). A 3 (branding: full branding, brand logo only, or plain black packaging) x 2 (health warning labels: present or absent) x 3 (product type: edible gummies, cannabis oil, or pre-rolled joints) factorial design was used.Results: Compared to plain packaging or a brand logo, packages with full branding were considered more appealing and more likely to be youth-oriented (p < 0.001). Products with health warnings were considered less appealing than packages without warnings (p < 0.001). Edible gummies were perceived as more appealing and more likely to be youth-oriented than pre-rolled joints and cannabis oil (p < 0.001). Additionally, edible gummies were rated as significantly more appealing by 16-18 and 19-35-year-olds than by older adults (p < 0.02 for all).Conclusions: Comprehensive health warnings and 'plain packaging' regulations may reduce the appeal of cannabis products in a legal market. The results also provide empirical evidence that edible gummies are perceived to appeal to youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]