France to ban smoking in parks, beaches, and near schools
PARIS — France has struggled to kick its smoking habit . A new public health decree published Saturday aims to change that.
In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools, and anywhere children could gather in public.
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Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
ESHRE 41st Annual Meeting: Older paternal age linked to higher miscarriage risk and lower live birth rates in donor egg IVF cycles
A new international study presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) reveals that IVF cycles involving male partners over the age of 45 carry significantly increased miscarriage risks and lower live birth rates – even when young donor eggs are used. PARIS, June 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- By isolating paternal age from female reproductive factors through the exclusive use of donor eggs from young women, the study provides robust evidence that male age plays a critical role in reproductive success, challenging the common assumption that sperm age has little impact once fertilisation occurs. The retrospective study analysed 1,712 first oocyte donation cycles conducted between 2019 and 2023 across six IVF centres in Italy and Spain. All cycles used fresh donor oocytes and frozen sperm from male partners, with only the first single blastocyst transfer included. Female recipients had a mean age of 43.3 years. Participants were divided into two groups: men aged 45 or younger (n=1,066) and those over 45 (n=646). While fertilisation rates and embryo development were comparable between groups, significant differences emerged in clinical outcomes. Miscarriage rates were notably higher among couples where the male partner was over 45, reaching 23.8% compared to 16.3% in the younger paternal age group. Similarly, live birth rates were significantly lower in the older paternal age group, at 35.1% versus 41% for men aged 45 or younger. Discussing the findings, Dr. Maria Cristina Guglielmo, Embryologist at Eugin Italy, said, 'Traditionally, maternal age has been the central focus in reproductive medicine, but our results show that the age of the male partner also plays a crucial and independent role. Even when using eggs from young, healthy donors and transferring only a single, high-quality embryo, we observed poorer outcomes in men over 45.' She also emphasised the importance of examining how paternal age affects the health of offspring. 'There is growing evidence linking advanced paternal age to an increased risk of neurodevelopment disorders in children. Our future work will investigate the long-term health and developmental outcomes of children conceived through donor egg cycles with older fathers, where maternal factors are minimised, to isolate paternal effects more clearly.' The study abstract will be published today in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals. View original content: SOURCE 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - Dangerous AI therapy-bots are running amok. Congress must act.
A national crisis is unfolding in plain sight. Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission received a formal complaint about artificial intelligence therapist bots posing as licensed professionals. Days later, New Jersey moved to fine developers for deploying such bots. But one state can't fix a federal failure. These AI systems are already endangering public health — offering false assurances, bad advice and fake credentials — while hiding behind regulatory loopholes. Unless Congress acts now to empower federal agencies and establish clear rules, we'll be left with a dangerous, fragmented patchwork of state responses and increasingly serious mental health consequences around the country. The threat is real and immediate. One Instagram bot assured a teenage user it held a therapy license, listing a fake number. According to the San Francisco Standard, a bot used a real Maryland counselor's license ID. Others reportedly invented credentials entirely. These bots sound like real therapists, and vulnerable users often believe them. It's not just about stolen credentials. These bots are giving dangerous advice. In 2023, NPR reported that the National Eating Disorders Association replaced its human hotline staff with an AI bot, only to take it offline after it encouraged anorexic users to reduce calories and measure their fat. This month, Time reported that psychiatrist Andrew Clark, posing as a troubled teen, interacted with the most popular AI therapist bots. Nearly a third gave responses encouraging self-harm or violence. A recently published Stanford study confirmed how bad it can get: Leading AI chatbots consistently reinforced delusional or conspiratorial thinking during simulated therapy sessions. Instead of challenging distorted beliefs — a cornerstone of clinical therapy — the bots often validated them. In crisis scenarios, they failed to recognize red flags or offer safe responses. This is not just a technical failure; it's a public health risk masquerading as mental health support. AI does have real potential to expand access to mental health resources, particularly in underserved communities. A recent NEJM-AI study found that a highly structured, human-supervised chatbot was associated with reduced depression and anxiety symptoms and triggered live crisis alerts when needed. But that success was built on clear limits, human oversight and clinical responsibility. Today's popular AI 'therapists' offer none of that. The regulatory questions are clear. Food and Drug Administration 'software as a medical device' rules don't apply if bots don't claim to 'treat disease'. So they label themselves as 'wellness' tools and avoid any scrutiny. The FTC can intervene only after harm has occurred. And no existing frameworks meaningfully address the platforms hosting the bots or the fact that anyone can launch one overnight with no oversight. We cannot leave this to the states. While New Jersey's bill is a step in the right direction, relying on individual states to police AI therapist bots invites inconsistency, confusion, and exploitation. A user harmed in New Jersey could be exposed to identical risks coming from Texas or Florida without any recourse. A fragmented legal landscape won't stop a digital tool that crosses state lines instantly. We need federal action now. Congress must direct the FDA to require pre-market clearance for all AI mental health tools that perform diagnosis, therapy or crisis intervention, regardless of how they are labeled. Second, the FTC must be given clear authority to act proactively against deceptive AI-based health tools, including holding platforms accountable for negligently hosting such unsafe bots. Third, Congress must pass national legislation to criminalize impersonation of licensed health professionals by AI systems, with penalties for their developers and disseminators, and require AI therapy products to display disclaimers and crisis warnings, as well as implement meaningful human oversight. Finally, we need a public education campaign to help users — especially teens — understand the limits of AI and to recognize when they're being misled. This isn't just about regulation. Ensuring safety means equipping people to make informed choices in a rapidly changing digital landscape. The promise of AI for mental health care is real, but so is the danger. Without federal action, the market will continue to be flooded by unlicensed, unregulated bots that impersonate clinicians and cause real harm. Congress, regulators and public health leaders: Act now. Don't wait for more teenagers in crisis to be harmed by AI. Don't leave our safety to the states. And don't assume the tech industry will save us. Without leadership from Washington, a national tragedy may only be a few keystrokes away. Shlomo Engelson Argamon is the associate provost for Artificial Intelligence at Touro University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘A bunch of cranks': RFK Jr. stacks CDC Vaccine Advisory panel with anti-vaxxers and conspiracists
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gutted the existing CDC Vaccine Advisory panel, replacing existing experts with anti-vaxxers and conspiracists. MSNBC Public Health Analyst Dr. Irwin Redlener says 'the actions that they are doing under his direction are undermining, not only essential vaccine information for Americans, but they're pulling the legs out of the vaccine programs globally.' Pulitzer-Prize winning science journalist Laurie Garrett says this new committee is emblematic of 'a government committed to destroying the truth-generating enterprise of science.'
