Refresh Releases First of its Kind Eye Drop for Dry Eyes Français
MONTREAL, July 11, 2025 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), announced today the availability of Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 Lubricant Eye Drops in Canada. The new, preservative-free eye drop is designed to provide rapid and long-lasting relief from dry eyes with the inclusion of natural omega-3 oil that helps lock in moisture.
Proven to relieve dryness, stinging and discomfort, the Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 Lubricant Eye Drop is the first eye drop on the market with Omega-3 fatty acids. The natural omega-3 oil in this formulation is derived from flaxseed, a rich source of essential fatty acids. helping protect the eyes from further irritation.
"There are an estimated 6 million Canadians suffering from dry eye disease 1," says Dr. Courey. "The natural omega-3 oil in the new Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 formulation helps lock-in moisture, offering a new option for those seeking lasting comfort."
In addition to dry eye disease, many Canadians face dry eyes due to exposure to wind or sun or a result of reduced blink frequency due to prolonged digital screen time.
Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 Lubricant Eye Drops conveniently come in single-use 0.4 mL vials for easy on-the-go use. Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 Lubricant Eye Drops can be found at major retailers across Canada.
For more information on the Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 Eyedrops, please visit the product website at https://www.refreshbrand.ca/.
About Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 Eye drops
Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 is indicated for the temporary relief of burning and irritation due to dryness of the eye and of discomfort due to minor irritation of the eye or to exposure to wind or sun. Refresh Advanced OMEGA-3 is also indicated for the relief of dry eyes and eye discomfort caused by reduced blink frequency due to prolonged digital screen time. This product may not be right for you. Always read and follow the label.
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca. Follow AbbVie Canada on Twitter, on Instagram, or find us on LinkedIn.
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School lunches, the French way: It's not just about nutrition, but togetherness and 'bon appetit'
This spring, as part of a sabbatical project, I had the privilege of visiting school food programs and meeting with school food researchers in six cities in France, England and Scotland. I got to eat school lunches, visit central kitchens in two cities where meals are prepared for thousands of children, visit school kitchens and discuss school food with the countries' leading experts. This visit intersects with my research with colleagues on promising food programs across Canada. This research offers insights for consideration as regions navigate the federal government's first National School Food Program and National School Food Policy. Government announcements about the program and policy were followed by negotiations with the provinces and territories, all of which have since signed agreements for a portion of the funding. In most parts of Canada, officials are just beginning to plan for new approaches to school food (with a few exceptions especially in Atlantic Canada where school food programs have been transforming much more quickly). Based on my research about international food programs, here are four key things Canadians should pay attention to: 1) In Canada we need to shift from thinking of school lunches as a safety net for kids living in poverty to thinking about them as benefiting the health and well-being of children and their families. In France, this shift in thinking is particularly clear. School lunches in France are about teaching children about food and culture and all kids are encouraged to eat together with an adult facilitator who teaches them about the components of the meal and creates a family-meal context at each table. By contrast, if you ask many parents in Canada what school meals are for, they will tell you they are for kids living in poverty to make sure they have food to eat at school. If Canada wants a national school food program that achieves the benefits of the best programs in the world in the areas of education, well-being and on the economy, we need to think of school meals as supporting young people to be the best students they can be. 2) One important benefit of school food programs globally is to encourage picky eaters to try new foods due to the social pressure of all kids eating the same foods together. In three cities in France I visited, and one in England, school lunches look like home-cooked meals. One main dish with meat is served (and in England, a vegetarian alternative), and kids can choose if and how much of the side vegetables and fruit to take. In Canada, following a similar practice - one main and a vegetarian alternative when meat is served - might work well. But it's also important that in developing a menu, the cultural diversity of Canadian school communities is reflected in the food on offer. In the other two locations in England and Scotland, kids choose from multiple main dishes - something that adds cost to the program and does less to encourage kids to try new foods, given one choice is always something basic like a cheese sandwich. Kids need to have some autonomy when it comes to eating, but school food programs should not be facilitating eating the same food every day. Nor should school food programs aspire to a model where broad choice is afforded from a large menu. 3) With care, planning and sufficient resources, centralized kitchens can prepare thousands of servings of a main dish daily. The French central kitchens I visited prepare 6,000 to 10,000 servings a day of high-quality food following strict food safety protocols. I ate two simple yet delicious meals cooked in municipally owned central kitchens. 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Centralizing kitchens can reduce costs and provide a way for high-quality food to be produced from basic ingredients without commercial kitchens in every school capable of preparing meals for hundreds of children at a time. 4) When designed with requirements for purchasing foods from local farmers and other Canadian producers, school food programs can benefit the agricultural sector and multiply their benefits to communities beyond direct school food jobs. In France, for example, there are specific percentages to be purchased from local and sustainable sources. Percentage requirements for local and sustainable purchasing should be enacted now in Canada as its program establishes itself, perhaps beginning with 20 per cent and growing over time. 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Half of requests for complex dental work are being rejected under national insurance plan
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Even though she's struggled with obesity throughout her life, Martin said she gained a significant amount of weight in the early COVID months. I mean you did the one thing you could do … you were not prevented from cooking so I tried all new recipes and then you couldn't go to the gym, she said. Jump in severe obesity concerns experts While more people became obese in general, the study's authors were most concerned about the rise in people with severe obesity. In 2009, about 2.4 per cent of Canadians were severely obese, but in 2023 that increased to nearly five per cent. With more severe rates of obesity, we're going to see more of the complications, said Wharton. In particular, he said people are more at risk of illnesses like Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis or heart disease. When looking into other conditions affecting people with obesity, the research found that half of them didn't have any chronic health conditions, but five to 10 per cent had between three to six long-term health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and cancer. Enlarge image (new window) Injection pens of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy are shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, November 21, 2023. Photo: Reuters / Victoria Klesty Weight-loss drugs could have impacted data This study looked at data up to 2023, so it's not clear yet what the growing availability of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy (new window) — approved last year — may have on obesity rates post-pandemic. The study notes that may already be changing, but the drugs weren't widely available during their study years. The researchers didn't dive into this in their study, and won't be able to explore it until more data comes out.
