In a development that’s certain to generate controversy, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health say they’ve linked sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit drinks to 180,000 deaths worldwide each year

Four mining fatalities within two weeks in West Virginia prompted Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to call for a safety stand down last week so that mine operators could review safety practices. The order signed by Tomblin required mines to stop operations for at least one hour on Wednesday afternoon.

Texas Governor Rick Perry’s recent assertion that his state’s high on-the-job fatality rate is due to the dangerous nature of the energy industry is being contradicted by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH).

Violence is not just a law enforcement problem. It is a public health problem of vast proportions. Each year, violence kills 55,000 people in the United States. Violence takes a particular toll on youth. Every day, 13 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 are killed, making homicide the third leading cause of death in this age group.

Here are the week’s top EHS stories from www.ISHN.com:

Posted with permission from FairWarning.org: The political rhetoric over health care this election season may leave voters confused, but they can be sure of at least this much: One of America’s more egregious public health afflictions, deaths and injuries in car crashes, is being massively ignored.

US Labor Department's Mine Safety and Health Administration says the 19 work-related fatalities that occurred during the first half of 2012 includes an uncharacteristic trend. Five of the fatalities occurred on five consecutive weekends. Additionally, three involved mine supervisors.

Figures released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show a total of 61 on-duty firefighter deaths in the United States in 2011, the lowest annual total of firefighter deaths for the second consecutive year, as well as the lowest annual total in 35 years.

Increasing life expectancy, an aging population and chronic diseases are placing an increasingly larger demand on global blood supplies, driving the need for more volunteers, say health experts.

A new study finds that 5 percent of all cancer deaths in Britain – approximately 8,000 deaths each year --are linked to occupations, particularly those where asbestos, diesel engine fumes or shift work is involved.