The Consumption of Khat and Other Drugs in Somali Combatants: A Cross-Sectional Study

In a study published in this week's PLoS Medicine, Michael Odenwald and colleagues conclude from their interviews with military personnel in Somalia that drug-related problems — mainly relating to the use of khat — have reached proportions formerly unknown to the country. In a related perspective, Kamaldeep Bhui and Nasir Warfa discuss the public health implications of this new study.

Image Credit: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

A Prospective Study of Red and Processed Meat Intake in Relation to Cancer Risk

Using data from a large cohort study, Amanda Cross and colleagues find that both red and processed meat intakes were positively associated with cancers of the colorectum and lung. And in a related article, Anita Koushik and Jeanine Genkinger review the key studies on the association between meat intake and cancer risk, including the Cross study.

Image Credit: Blair Butterfield

Clustered Environments and Randomized Genes: A Fundamental Distinction between Conventional and Genetic Epidemiology

In a cross-sectional study, George Davey Smith and colleagues show why observational studies can produce misleading claims regarding potential causal factors for disease, and they illustrate the use of mendelian randomization to study environmentally modifiable risk factors.

Listen to the Voice of America interview with Ira Longini, author of a PLoS Medicine paper that shows how a vaccine used to protect travelers from cholera could also be used effectively among those living in endemic areas.