In Brief
FDA approves ecstasy for PTSD clinical trial
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved studying ecstasy as a treatment
for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reports the Associated Press. The FDA
did not make the announcement publicly, but informed the Multidisciplinary Association
for Psychedelic Studies of its decision. The association hopes for a $5-million,
five-year project to develop ecstasy into a prescription medicine. The study still
needs to pass review at the Medical University of South Carolina, which would conduct
the study. If approved, the clinical trial would mark the first time the FDA has
sanctioned ecstasy to treat a psychiatric disorder.
Suicide rates highest among middle-aged men in Ontario
Suicide is the leading cause of injury-related deaths among men aged 35 to 64,
reports the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Although suicide is
usually associated with teenagers and young males, it is also a major health concern
among middle-aged men, according to Greg Webster, CIHI's manager of clinical registries.
In 1998 - 1999, suicide accounted for 39 per cent of deaths in this group, compared
to 25 per cent among youth aged 10 to 19. According to the Ontario Trauma Registry
Report, suicides account for one-third of all injury-related deaths in Ontario, with
79 per cent of these deaths occurring among men.
|
(416) 595-6714 
