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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Warning on Products Promising 'Safe' High

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday renewed and expanded an earlier warning about supplements that are touted as "alternatives" to street drugs that offer a "safe legal high."

In February, the FDA urged consumers to not take a product called "Green Hornet," made by Cytotec Solutions of Tampa, Fla., after four teenagers in Colorado were sickened by it. The liquid contained high levels of the over-the-counter drugs diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan, the agency said.

Friday's warning extended to seven other Cytotec products: Trip2Night, Invigorate II, Snuffadelic, Liquid Speed, Solar Water, Orange Butterfly, and Schoomz. Although the FDA says Cytotec no longer makes these supplements, it adds that people may still have them or that they may be available over the Internet.

"There is no doubt that these products pose a potential public health concern, and FDA is concerned that these products may be misused or abused by individuals, especially minors and young adults," Acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said in a statement.

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U.S. Plane Rescues Ill South Pole Worker

A U.S. Air Force plane has rescued at least one ill worker in the Antarctic in what would be the fourth such mission to the South Pole in the last five years.

The BBC reports that the C-141 transporter flew from California, via New Zealand, to the McMurdo research station in the South Pole. According to the BBC, several workers are sick with unrelated conditions.

The station is normally closed from February to October because of cold weather conditions. About 200 people are stationed there, and are tended to by one doctor, an assistant, and a physical therapist.

The BBC reports that the National Science Foundation, which runs the base, deemed that the workers' conditions were such that they warranted treatment at a more advanced facility.

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Agriculture Dept. Rejects Mad Cow Test

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday rejected a plan by a beef producer to test all of its cattle for mad cow disease.

The producer, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, sought to use newly approved rapid tests so that it could resume selling Angus beef to Japan, the New York Times reports. Japan banned imports of American beef after a cow slaughtered in Washington state tested positive for the disease in December.

The USDA said there was no scientific reason for making such a sweeping test, adding that Creekstone's use would have "implied a consumer safety aspect" that is unwarranted, the Times reported.

Japan has demanded that producers test each animal.

The USDA has changed its testing program to make a one-time effort to test 201,000 sick cows and 20,000 healthy ones. It assumes that cattle born before 1997 were most at risk of mad cow disease.

Consumer groups were critical of the decision, but the beef industry applauded the move, according to the Times.

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Chicago Drugstores Plagued by Pricing Errors: Report

More than three out of four of Chicago's chain drugstores overcharged customers for their purchases due to mistakes at the checkout counter, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

However, an investigation by the Chicago Department of Consumer Services found no evidence that the overcharges at more than 100 Walgreen's, Osco, and CVS stores were deliberate, the newspaper said.

Most of the overcharges were between 50 cents and $2, although they ranged from a penny to $45, the investigators found. Experts cited by the newspaper said many customers didn't notice the discrepancies because prices often weren't listed on the items themselves, just on the store shelves.

While spokespeople for the drugstore chains said many perceived scanner mistakes stemmed from employee failure to correct aisle signs following a sale, the investigators considered the price posted near the item to be what customers should have been charged, the Tribune reported. Also, items similar in appearance can frequently be misplaced under a price sign that represents a different item, industry observers told the newspaper.

An unnamed city spokesman told the Tribune that the city is in the early stages of investigating the matter.

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Children Should Avoid Antidepressants: Researchers

People younger than 18 should avoid newer antidepressants like Paxil and Zoloft because the drugs offer little benefit to this age group and pose "disturbing shortcomings," according to a HealthDay report on an Australian study.

In the April 10 issue of the British Medical Journal, the researchers concluded that the medications "cannot confidently be recommended as a treatment option for childhood depression."

Their pronouncement follows a move last month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration instructing the makers of 10 antidepressants to add a visible warning on the drug label indicating the potential for suicidal thinking and behavior.

The authors of the new review examined six randomized controlled trials of newer antidepressants -- Effexor, Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft -- that had been published in refereed journals. They concluded that the benefits were exaggerated and that the side effects -- including suicidal thoughts -- were not well-documented. The researchers added that the studies were sometimes funded by the drugmakers.

Practicing psychiatrists and other critics of the study, however, dismissed its conclusions. They claimed that the authors of the review never adequately delineated what the serious adverse effects are, and that funding by pharmaceutical companies does not necessarily compromise a study's results.

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FDA Warns of Possible Lead Contamination in Mexican Candy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it's aware of a problem associated with lead contamination of some Mexican candy products being sold in the United States. So the agency is advising parents, care providers and other responsible adults to not allow children to eat these products at this time.

The FDA said it has information showing candies and related products that contain significant amounts of chili powder may contain higher lead levels than other types of candy, such as candy that contains predominantly sugar. Examples of chili-containing products include lollipops coated with chili and powdery mixtures of salt, lemon flavor and chili seasoning sold as a snack item.

Also, tamarind, a popular Mexican candy item, can become contaminated with lead if it is sold in poorly made glazed ceramic vessels that release lead from the glaze into the candy, according to the agency.

FDA officials said they will work with the Mexican government and industry personnel to resolve the problem.

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