Consumer alert!

If you have any of those recalled Chinese-made tires, at least you won’t be traveling to the store to buy any of that contaminated Chinese-made toothpaste, or the now-banned Chinese-raised seafood.

The feds have halted imports of products from Chinese seafood farms because they have trace amounts of cancer-causing chemicals that aren’t approved for use in the U.S.

Read about the ban here.

A new study has found a link between bone loss and the use of popular anti-depressants among older people.

This can’t be welcome news for older people — who often are prescribed anti-depressants such as Zoloft and Paxil — and who normally have bone loss issues.

The study’s findings aren’t all that conclusive, but are worth considering. Click here to learn the details.

Milk and meat from cloned animals might be on some store shelves before the end of the year, and the Food and Drug Administration says it sees no need for special labeling for such products.

But a new poll finds that 89 percent of consumers want such labeling, and legislation has been introduced in California to require it.

Consumers Union is on the case.

Then fiddle around with fireworks, says the government.

Read the fed’s precautions.

From 2001 to 2005, youth were 239 times more likely to see a product advertisement for alcohol than an alcohol industry “responsibility” message about underage drinking and 32 times more likely to see an alcohol product advertisement than an industry-sponsored “responsibility” advertisement about drinking and driving or drinking safely, according to a study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth.

See the study here.

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of advertisements from Blue Hippo, a Maryland firm, that advertises that low-income and poor credit consumers can get a new computer through them.

The BBB has logged more than 1,400 complaints against Blue Hippo over the last three years. Most of the complaints have to do with high-pressure sales practices, non-delivery of promised merchandise, and unwillingness to provide a refund or exchange. The Federal Trade Commission also has more than 8,000 pages of consumer complaints against the company.

The federal Securities and Exchange Commission thinks investors should know if the companies they are investing in do business with countries the government alleges sponsor terrorism.

It has a software tool that lists the bad countries. Click on a country and you see which companies routinely do business with it.

Learn more here.

An Italian study of rats and the artificial sweetener aspartame is prompting calls for the federal government to take another look at the possible links between cancer and the sweetener.
Read about it here.

State officials are reminding consumers to use caution when applying insect repellents containing diethyltoluamide (DEET) to children because it can cause health problems if not used correctly.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says repellents with low DEET concentrations can be used on children more than two months old. Insect repellents containing DEET, with a concentration of 10 percent, are as safe as other products when used according to product labels.

When using a repellent on a child, apply it to your own hands and rub your hands on the child. Avoid a child’s eyes and mouth and use it sparingly around their ears. Do not apply repellent to a child’s hands or allow young children to apply it themselves. Keep repellents out of reach of children, and do not apply repellent to skin under clothing.

Here are more tips for safe usage on kids:

Use repellents sparingly. Low concentrations (10 percent or below) are effective and may be preferred in most situations.

Once the child is back indoors and/or the repellent is no longer necessary, wash the treated skin with soap and water.

Don’t use repellents on broken, irritated skin or apply to eyes and mouth.

Don’t apply to a child’s hands that often end up in their mouth. Avoid breathing sprays and don’t use near food.

Although reactions to repellents are rare, exposure to excessive levels of DEET may cause headaches, restlessness, crying spells, mania, staggering, rapid breathing, convulsions and possibly coma. Consumers should immediately stop using a repellent if they experience any of the above symptoms and contact a poison control center or emergency room if swallowed.

For more information, call the Michigan Department of Agriculture at (517) 373-9750.

The Michigan Public Service Commission has published a list of rates that different telecommunications companies offer for basic telephone plans in the state.

The idea is to allow customers compare rates and find one that suits their needs. Check out what the state defines as a basic plan and access the list here.