Consumer group calls on DeCoster-owned egg franchise to clean up act – across the board – National Consumers League

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August 25, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League, the nation’s oldest consumer organization, today called on the Iowa egg producer at the center of the recall of 500 million eggs for Salmonella contamination to clean up its operations across the board, citing concerns about plant cleanliness, egg handling practices, treatment of workers and animals, and its disregard for the environment.

The National Consumers League, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization founded in 1899 to ensure the safety of workers producing the goods purchased by consumers, is calling for companies to recognize the connection between the quality of manufacturing practices and the safety of their products.

The following is the statement from NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

Consumers don’t want to buy products from companies that abuse their workers, mistreat their animals, or pollute the environment. And they certainly don’t want to buy food that contains pathogens that could make them or their families sick.

What some companies fail to grasp is the relationship between the quality of products they hope consumers will spend on and the way the company operates behind the scenes. Operations that disregard the welfare of workers, that allow unsafe work environments, treat farm animals inhumanely, and improperly dispose of waste thus creating environmental hazards, are more likely to flout the law and produce goods that turn out to be harmful to consumers who eat them. The current egg recall from the 5 million mega-egg DeCoster production operation reflects a history rife with violations of the law.

When a company is guilty of a litany of violations as DeCoster has been, violating the rights of workers, engaging in cruel treatment of animals, and disposing improperly of waste, it’s no surprise to us that this same company would have an outbreak of contamination of its eggs with Salmonella and foodborne illness as well.

The National Consumers League calls upon Jack DeCoster and the company he runs to review its operations at all levels and to agree to a set of principles that will address these issues across the board.

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About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Statement by NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg on comprehensive financial reform – National Consumers League

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July 16, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

The National Consumers League hails the passage of  the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill in the Senate as major victory for American consumers. The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director:

The financial devastation of the past three years has put millions of Americans out of work, caused them to lose their homes and their retirement savings. Reckless banking, mortgage and Wall Street practices  created the problem, while the protections consumers and working families needed were woefully inadequate. Consumer groups, labor unions, civil rights organizations have sought for years to protect consumers, homebuyers, and small businesses. This bill will help us get those protections.

The bill will:

  • Create a strong consumer protection agency to protect consumers and working people  from predatory lenders;
  • Require most derivatives to clear and trade on open, transparent exchanges and mandate that managers of hedge and private equity funds register with the Securities and Exchange Commission;
  • Give long term investors tools to hold corporate boards and senior management accountable; and
  • Help prevent future bank bailouts by creating a council of regulators to oversee systemic risk, giving regulators authority to dissolve failing financial institutions while prohibiting bailouts for bank shareholders and executives
  • Move us toward restoring of Glass Steagall by limiting banks’ ability to make risky bets backed by taxpayer funds.

We also commend those House and Senate members who stepped up to protect consumers, hold the banks accountable, and provide a level playing field for all citizens. NCL looks forward to seeing President Obama sign this into law.

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About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Mid-year report: Internet merchandise scams topping complaints to NCL’s Fraud Center – National Consumers League

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July 15, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — For the first time in several years, fake check scams were no longer the most-reported scam to the National Consumers League’s Fraud Center during the first six months of 2010. Internet merchandise scams, where consumers are conned into buying non-existent or misrepresented products online, have had the dubious “distinction” of being the most-frequently-reported scam at the mid-year point.

The League’s Mid-year Top Ten Scams report, released today, found that while fake checks continue to make up more than a quarter of the overall scams reported to NCL’s Fraud Center, consumers are more often falling prey to Internet Merchandise scams, which made up 24.87 percent of total complaints, an increase of 4.82 percent over 2009.

In total, consumers reported more than $3.6 million in losses to the Fraud Center, with an average reported loss of $810. The average loss for Internet merchandise scams, the most popular scam of 2010, was a bit higher, at $931. Average loss for fake check scams was $371, and, for scams involving prizes, sweepstakes and free gifts, it was $403.

“Despite our growing comfort and familiarity with buying online, consumers must continue to keep their guard up and follow good Internet purchasing practices in order to protect themselves from con artists who make a living by duping consumers with bogus sales,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Shop from retailers you know and trust, take advantage of consumer reviews and feedback forums, and use a credit card, which is the safest way to pay online. There is an element of risk with any online transaction, but consumers can take simple steps to dramatically decrease the likelihood of becoming a Fraud Center statistic.”

The report, which is compiled from consumer complaints submitted to NCL’s Fraud Center, examines trends in Internet and telemarketing fraud, including most popular scams, contact and payment methods, and victim profiles.

Other trends noted at the mid-year analysis include a dramatic increase in complaints about bogus prizes, sweepstakes, and free gifts, a category which saw the largest increase (7.82 percent vs. 2009) and now make up 17 percent of total complaints. Prizes, sweepstakes, and free gift scams, in which “winning” consumers agree to pay upfront fees to collect prizes that do not exist, are now the most common telemarketing thus far in 2010.

Fraudsters are professional con-men who play on consumers’ hopes and fears,” said Director of NCL’s Fraud Center John Breyault. “In a weak economy, scammers are preying on exactly those consumers who can least afford to lose even a portion of their diminished income to a fraudster.”

New to the top ten overall scams this period are Timeshare Resale scams. In a typical scam of this type, an unscrupulous agent convinces a victim that the resale market is “hot” or even that the agent has a buyer waiting in the wings. In exchange for a large up-front fee, the scam artist offers to assist in the sale of the property. The scammer rarely is able to sell the property and may request additional “fees” to “help” complete the sale process for an increasingly desperate owner.

An additional notable trend in the NCL report is an increase in scams perpetrated against the oldest age group, those over 65; this age group saw the largest increase in complaints, a more than 5 percent increase vs. 2009).

NCL’s Fraud Center warns that older consumers may not be as skeptical about bogus offers, and may be ashamed when they begin to suspect that they have fallen victim to a scam. Signs that an older loved one may be involved in a fraud include: a sudden inability to pay monthly bills, unusually heavy volumes of junk mail or telemarketing calls, or a reluctance to discuss repeated large payments to “a friend.“ Consumers concerned that an elderly friend or relative is a fraud victim should contact their local consumer protection office or state attorney general.

For more information on NCL’s 2010 Mid-Year Top Ten Scams report, click here.

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About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Los consumidores no se fían de los cambios de prescripciones – National Consumers League

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June 24, 2010

Contact: media@nclnet.org
Washington, DC — Según una encuesta publicada por National Consumers League (NCL), a alrededor de tres cuartas partes de las personas que toman medicamentos con prescripción les preocuparía mucho si se les cambiara el medicamento que se les recetó por otro elaborado para tratar el mismo padecimiento, sin el conocimiento de su médico. Incluso si el médico estuviera al tanto, uno de cada cinco individuos entrevistados indicó sentirse preocupado por la práctica, conocida como sustitución terapéutica: el cambio a una alternativa del medicamento prescrito, que no es química o genéricamente equivalente, sino en la misma clase terapéutica, y que se usa para tratar el mismo padecimiento.

En épocas en las que los costos de los servicios médicos siguen subiendo de manera exorbitante, las compañías de seguro pueden recurrir a la práctica de sustituir medicamentos similares (pero químicamente distintos) y menos caros de la misma clase. NCL trabaja para educar a los consumidores acerca de la práctica de sustitución terapéutica en su sitio web: www.nclnet.org. Los nuevos recursos en inglés y español ayudan a explicar esa práctica y animan a los consumidores a que hagan preguntas necesarias para sentirse bien y en control de la atención médica que reciben. Para un resumen ejecutivo en inglés y una copia completa de la encuesta, haga clic aquí.

“Los consumidores tienen razón en sentir inquietud sobre la práctica de la sustitución terapéutica, cómo se realiza y quién participa —dice Sally Greenberg, directora ejecutiva de National Consumers League (NCL)—. Para algunos padecimientos y tratamientos, puede tener sentido económico o médico cambiar una prescripción por otra. Pero, como indican los consumidores en la encuesta, es esencial que ellos mismos formen parte de ese proceso, que su médico esté al tanto y de acuerdo con el cambio, y que se sientan seguros de que su salud y el tratamiento —no los incentivos económicos— son la más alta prioridad”.

El debate sobre la sustitución terapéutica

A los defensores les preocupa esta práctica principalmente cuando ocurre sin el conocimiento del paciente o sin hablarlo o recibir el consentimiento del médico. Sin embargo, hay opiniones de ambos lados del debate: algunos grupos de médicos expresan preocupación por la seguridad de los pacientes, y algunos grupos de farmacéuticos apoyan más la práctica a raíz de las medidas de ahorros de costos y una forma de optimizar la atención médica del paciente. En algunos casos, la sustitución puede ser beneficiosa o inconsecuente, pero en otros —especialmente en el tratamiento de casos de epilepsia, salud mental y problemas cardiovasculares— puede ser menos eficaz o presentar riesgos, sobre todo si se hace sin el conocimiento del consumidor o el médico que prescribe.

“Sin transparencia, la sustitución terapéutica puede conllevar a problemas de eficacia y seguridad, que incluyen las interacciones desconocidas de ciertos fármacos y consecuencias graves para la salud. Puede además causar confusión o miedo en los pacientes, que de por sí ya se sienten descontentos con un sistema de atención médica defectuoso”, dice Greenberg.

La encuesta en línea de 1,387 adultos mayores de 18 años que obtuvieron alguna prescripción durante el transcurso del año anterior, que llevó a cabo Harris Interactive® en nombre de NCL, del 25 de agosto al 2 de septiembre de 2008, reveló que la mayoría de los consumidores no tienen conocimiento directo de la sustitución terapéutica, pero tienen reparos e inquietudes sobre cómo y cuándo se debe cambiar un medicamento con prescripción por otro.

Puntos importantes de la encuesta

A los consumidores les preocupa la sustitución terapéutica en las que no participa un médico

• En general, a las personas que toman medicamentos por prescripción (Rx) les preocuparía mucho si se les cambiara el medicamento que se les recetó por otro fármaco designado para tratar el mismo padecimiento, sin que su médico se enterara o lo consintiera.

• Alrededor de tres cuartas partes (70%) se sentiría muy o extremadamente preocupado si se les cambiara la prescripción sin el conocimiento o consentimiento de su médico por un medicamento diferente indicado para tratar el mismo padecimiento. El 77% se opone rotundamente a la práctica sin el consentimiento del paciente o el médico que prescribe el medicamento.

Los consumidores están abiertos a la sustitución terapéutica, pero ciertos factores determinan el nivel de seguridad que sienten

• Es más factible que las personas que toman medicamentos por prescripción consideren cambiarse a un medicamento diferente si el médico determina que ambos son intercambiables (57%).

• Una carta de la aseguradora quizá no tranquilice a los consumidores, pero estimularía la comunicación: sólo un 19% de las personas que toman medicamentos por prescripción dicen que considerarían cambiar a un medicamento diferente para tratar la misma enfermedad si su compañía de seguro enviara una carta recomendando el cambio, pero recibir una carta así inspiraría a un 71% de los usuarios a hablar con el médico sobre un medicamento más económico como alternativa.

• Alrededor de una tercera parte (31%) de las personas que toman medicamentos por prescripción dicen que considerarían un cambio de medicamentos si sus farmacéuticos los llamaran para discutir una alternativa del medicamento.

• El 68% de las personas que toman medicamentos por prescripción se opondrían a que las compañías de seguro ofrecieran incentivos a los médicos para que los pacientes cambien a alternativas de menor costo.

• El 73% de las personas que toman medicamentos por prescripción se opondrían a que las compañías de seguro ofrecieran incentivos a los farmacéuticos para que los pacientes cambien a alternativas de menor costo.

Acerca de la encuesta

NCL comisionó esta encuesta con una donación educativa sin restricciones de Pfizer.

La encuesta “Opiniones de los consumidores sobre la sustitución terapéutica” (Consumers’ Views on Therapeutic Substitution Survey) se llevó a cabo en línea en los Estados Unidos a través de Harris Interactive en nombre de National Consumers League, del 25 de agosto al 2 de septiembre de 2008, con 1,035 usuarios de medicamentos con prescripción mayores de 18 años en los Estados Unidos, que obtuvieron alguna prescripción durante el transcurso del año anterior, y 352 muestras adicionales de usuarios de estatinas mayores de 18 años en los Estados Unidos, que toman ese fármaco en el presente. No se pueden hacer cálculos de error de muestra teórico; la metodología completa está disponible.

Los resultados completos de la encuesta, hojas de datos para el consumidor y otros recursos están disponibles en www.nclnet.org.

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Acerca de National Consumers League

National Consumers League, fundada en 1899, es la organización pionera del consumidor en los Estados Unidos. Nuestra misión es proteger y fomentar la justicia social y económica de los consumidores y trabajadores en los Estados Unidos y el extranjero. Para mayor información, visite www.nclnet.org.

Acerca de Harris Interactive®

Harris Interactive es un líder mundial en investigación de mercado adaptada a la medida. Con un largo y rico historial en investigación en varios tipos de medios, con la potencia de nuestras ciencias y tecnología, asistimos a los clientes a lograr sus resultados de negocios. Harris Interactive sirve a clientes mundialmente a través de nuestras oficinas en América del Norte, Europa y Asia, y una red de empresas independientes de investigación de mercado. Para más información, sírvase visitar www.harrisinteractive.com.

NCL calls on FDA to regulate industry after tests reveal hidden pathogens on pallets used to transport food – National Consumers League

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May 26, 2010

Contact: 202-835-3323, 
media@nclnet.org
Washington, DC – In the wake of the recent recall of E. coli-tainted romaine lettuce, the nation’s oldest consumer organization, the National Consumers League (NCL), is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set minimum sanitary and safety standards for the “unregulated but crucial” pallets that are used to transport food throughout the United States.

The move by NCL comes following recent exploratory tests conducted by the organization on pallets to determine whether they are potential carriers of pathogens, as concerns grow about the link between pallets and contamination of food and pharmaceuticals. The consumer group tested pallets for foodborne pathogens, including E. coli and Listeria. The findings were alarming: 10 percent of the wood pallets tested had E. coli present (though not the most virulent strain, E. coli O157:H7). In a letter to the FDA, NCL described the results of its exploratory testing of wood and plastic pallets used to transport food in the greater Houston, Texas and Miami/Tampa, Florida, areas. Testing was conducted in late April and included 70 wood pallets and 70 plastic pallets in total. NCL shipped the samples overnight to an independent microbiology lab that provides testing services for a wide array of commercial, industrial, regulatory, and law enforcement clients.

[Read NCL’s letter to FDA]

[View positive samples from testing]

“We believe it is essential to ensure that pathogens are not introduced at any step along the food transport system, from farm to fork. Our testing of pallets has shown that these relatively unregulated but crucial parts of the food transportation system can and do harbor dangerous pathogens that could potentially contaminate the food supply,” said Sally Greenberg, the League’s Executive Director.

In addition to the presence of E. coli, 2.9 percent of the wood pallets tested positive for Listeria, and half of these, when further tested, contained Listeria monocytogenes, one of the most virulent foodborne pathogens. This strain of Listeria is linked to a 20 to 30 percent rate of clinical infections resulting in death and causes approximately 2,500 illnesses and 500 deaths in the United States every year. Listeriosis is more likely to cause death than any other foodborne bacterial pathogen. Of the 70 plastic pallets tested, 1 – or 1.4 percent – came back positive for E. coli. None of the other plastic pallets tested positive for pathogens.

Finally, high aerobic plate counts, which reflect unsanitary conditions of the pallets, were found on approximately one third of the wood pallets and one fifth of the plastic pallets.

As the recent outbreak of E. coli underscores, the threat of foodborne illness remains a serious concern in the United States.

“Looking at the safety of pallets is crucial. Even if farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers were all to follow food safety plans and practices to the letter, the introduction of dangerous pathogens into the food supply during transport could negate these efforts…With approximately two billion pallets currently in circulation in the United States, the presence of dangerous pathogens on even a small percentage of those pallets presents a potential threat to the safety of the food supply,” wrote Greenberg in her letter to the FDA.

Several different aspects of pallet use and storage present potential food safety concerns. If a pallet is absorptive – i.e., has the capacity to absorb water and harbor bacteria – or difficult or impossible to fully clean, it could contaminate food products like fresh produce or meat. A pallet that carries raw seafood on ice to a given destination, then heads of lettuce or apples to the next, could potentially contaminate that produce and lead to foodborne illness. In a just-issued report prepared for the FDA, Eastern Research Group, Inc. highlights the use of “good quality pallets” as a preventive measure. The agency has said it will use the report to inform the development of new rules to increase the safety of food during transport.

Furthermore, regardless of the materials from which it is made, any pallet that is not properly cleaned between trips increases the likelihood of cross-contamination. Storing a pallet outside, in unsanitary areas, in places accessible to vermin, or near potential contaminants increases the chances that the pallet could harbor dangerous pathogens. In conducting our testing, we observed that wood pallets – which we found to have a higher incidence of pathogens – are more often stored outside and exposed to weather, rodents, bird droppings, and insects. Among additional considerations is the use of damaged wood pallets; splinters or sharp points can damage the packaging of products, creating an entryway for pathogens from which sealed products would otherwise be protected.

NCL’s findings build on the growing concern about the potential dangers of unregulated pallets to consumers. In January of this year, McNeil Consumer Healthcare issued a recall of several of its over-the-counter products reported to have a moldy odor and that, in some individuals, were thought to have caused gastrointestinal distress. In a press release dated January 15, the company stated: “McNeil Consumer Healthcare has determined that the reported uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). This can result from the breakdown of a chemical that is sometimes applied to wood that is used to build wood pallets that transport and store product packaging materials.” The FDA issued the same statement on its Web site.

NCL is urging the FDA to do its own testing and set standards that will help to ensure that pallets are cleaned and stored properly, thus minimizing the possibility that they will be implicated in the spread of foodborne illness.

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About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Traveling youth crews top 2010 Five Worst Jobs list – National Consumers League

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May 17, 2010

Contact: 202-835-3323, media@nclnet.org

WASHINGTON, DC –Many teenagers around the country are about to begin the search for that elusive summer job. With economic times and a teen unemployment rate nearing 30 percent, the National Consumers League (NCL) fears that teens may be tempted to take jobs that may endanger their health. In its new report, the Five Worst Teen Jobs of 2010, NCL warns teens and parents which jobs are best avoided. Based on statistics from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a teen American worker dies from a workplace injury every eleven days, and nearly 150,000 youth sustain work-related injuries and illnesses each year—that’s more than 400 injured teen workers per day.

The National Consumers League (NCL), which coordinates the Child Labor Coalition, has issued this year’s Five Worst Teen Jobs report to remind teens and parents to think about hidden dangers that many jobs hold. “Some jobs—construction, for example—have obvious dangers, while others like retail may pose hidden dangers when teens are asked to work alone at night and may be vulnerable to robberies and assaults,” said Reid Maki, NCL’s Director for Social Responsibility and Coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition. “It’s absolutely critical that parents talk with their kids about possible work dangers and empower them to ask their supervisors questions about their safety at work.”

In 2008—the last year for which there are complete records—an estimated 2.3 million adolescents aged 16 to 17 years worked in the United States, and that figure does not include hundreds of thousands of agricultural workers who work at ages younger than 16 because of loopholes in our child labor laws.

“Each year, the National Consumers League issues our Five Worst Teen Jobs report to remind teens and their parents to choose summer jobs wisely,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director and co-chair of the NCL-coordinated Child Labor Coalition. “Summer jobs play an important role in a child’s development and maturity and teach young workers new skills and responsibilities, but parents and teens should carefully consider the safety of each job. Even good-intentioned employers and federal child labor laws do not always protect young workers from dangerous tasks.”

NCL’s Five Worst Teen Jobs of 2010 (read full report)

  1. Traveling Youth Sales Crews
  1. Construction and Height Work
  1. Outside Helper: Landscaping, Grounds Keeping and Lawn Service
  1. Agriculture: Harvesting Crops
  1. Driver/Operator: Forklifts, Tractors, and ATV’s

NCL compiles the Five Worst Teen Jobs each year using government statistics and reports, including monitoring reports from state labor officials and news accounts of injuries and deaths. Statistics and examples of injuries for each job on the list are detailed in a report available here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Fields of peril: NCL applauds Human Rights Watch report on the dangers of child farm work – National Consumers League

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May 6, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League, the nation’s oldest consumer group and a co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition, applauds the release yesterday of “Fields of Peril—Child Labor in U.S. Agriculture,” a new investigative report by Human Rights Watch. The report finds that the U.S. is failing to protect hundreds of thousands of children engaged in often grueling and dangerous work in agriculture because of loopholes in federal laws that allow them to work at younger ages, for far longer hours, and in far more hazardous conditions than in any other industry.

Children often work for hire at ages as young as 12—sometimes even younger—for 10 to 12 hours a day for five to seven days a week. Temperatures in the 90s and over 100 are not uncommon. The children risk pesticide poisoning, injury from tools and machinery, and heat illness. They suffer fatalities at four times the rate of other working children.

Educationally, the impact of child labor on these children is huge. Long hours in the fields exhaust them. Many farmworker children leave school before the school year is over, work all summer, and return long after the school year. More than half of these kids do not graduate high school, creating a cycle of generational poverty in the farmworker community.

“The time has come to fix this glaring loophole in U.S. child labor law.” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director, “Farmworker children deserve the same labor protections that other children enjoy.”

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About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Maryland takes 2010 national LifeSmarts title – National Consumers League

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April 28, 2010

Contact: 202-835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The student team from Frederick County, Maryland was crowned national LifeSmarts champions in Miami Beach, Florida on Tuesday, April 27. In a tough final match against the second-place team from North Dakota’s Henderson High School, the Maryland teens outscored their opponents and did it with great sportsmanship. Teams from Kansas and Arizona placed third.

“We are so proud of these students from Maryland, who represented their state program with class and pride,” said LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “They played hard and demonstrated their consumer smarts throughout the four-day event. They are true LifeSmarts champions.”

LifeSmarts is a program run by the Washington, DC-based National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocate. It competitively tests high school students’ knowledge of consumer awareness, with subjects including personal finance, health and safety, consumer rights and responsibility, technology, and the environment.

New this year at the 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship was the introduction of individual topic area competitions. Teens from each of the 32 state champion teams represented at nationals competed as individuals, and the top five scorers received $500 scholarships from NCL. This year’s winners were:

  • Environment: Ricky Tabandera, Hawaii
  • Personal Finance: Robert Dickens, Maryland
  • Health and Safety: Hafsa Khanum, Connecticut
  • Consumer Rights and Responsibilities: Gabrielle Sclafani, Rhode Island
  • Technology: Pierce Donovan, Pennsylvania

“NCL’s LifeSmarts program is allowing us to rear a generation of consumer-savvy teenagers who often outsmart their parents on issues related to avoiding fraud, credit and debt, and complicated health care decisions,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. In the 16 years that LifeSmarts has been educating high school and middle school teens on consumer issues, it has grown dramatically, with more than 3 million consumer questions at www.lifesmarts.org in the online competition during the 2009-2010 academic year.

For team photos, event schedules, grid standings, and more, log on towww.lifesmarts.org.

All winners at the national LifeSmarts Competition received valuable prizes donated by sponsors to the National Consumers League, including scholarships, savings bonds, gift cards, and more. To learn more about the program, contact NCL’s Lisa Hertzberg at 202-835-3323. For a complete listing of this year’s prizes, visit www.lifesmarts.org.

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About LifeSmarts and the National Consumers League

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org, or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at 202-835-3323. The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL supporting Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act – National Consumers League

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April 23, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, 
media@nclnet.org
NCL has signed on with other consumer groups, to a letter to Congress supporting legislation called the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act, which will ensure that when imports come into the United States, they are accompanied by a U.S. Agent for Service of Process and an insurance bond, should the product prove to be defective or hazardous to consumers.
The bill is intended to address the situation in which an overseas manufacturer sells a hazardous product – like Chinese dry wall – in the United States that leaves consumers with health and property damage. This legislation will ensure that consumers have a remedy in the courts and can be made whole if they require compensation for injuries or property damage.
To read the letter from NCL and the other groups, click here..

Groups call for private student loan reform – National Consumers League

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April 21, 2010

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Private student loans are one of the riskiest, most expensive ways to pay for college. Like credit cards, they typically have variable interest rates that are higher for those who can least afford them. However, private student loans are treated much more harshly in bankruptcy than credit cards and other comparable types of debt.

NCL, along with nearly two dozen organizations, have sent a letter to Steve Cohen, Chairman of the U.S. HouseSubcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, Committee on the Judiciary, offering strong support for the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010.

Click here to read the letter.