Medication with cancer-causing chemicals remains on market

Drastic reduction of murders in St Andrew South

Despite research indicating that Zantac and similar heartburn medications contain low levels of cancer-causing chemicals, the health ministry has decided against pulling them from pharmacy shelves. Instead, a ban on the importation of the drug has been imposed, but healthcare providers and distributors may continue to dispense them until the stock runs out.

The health ministry said yesterday that distributors may choose to completely withdraw their products.

PThe ministry also said that patients who are presently taking over-the-counter ranitidine for simple heartburn should ask their pharmacists or other healthcare providers to recommend suitable substitutes, such as antacids. rime Minister Andrew Holness says that the number of murders being committed in the St Andrew South Police Division has been drastically reduced since the declaration of a state of emergency in July.

“Between April 14 and July 6 (84-day period before the state of emergency was put in place), there were 53 murders in St Andrew South.

“In the comparative period in 2018, there were 29 murders. Since the state of emergency has been in place for 84 days, we have had 22 murders. I wouldn’t argue, but we could all agree that it has more than cut in half the number of murders in the parish,” he said.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the extension of the extreme security measure in the division until January 4, 2020.