PLASTIC BAG BANS ALL THE RAGE.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

Studies indicate that the average plastic bag is used for 12 minutes, while plastic kills 100,000 marine animals annually and the toxic chemicals live in oceans for 1,000 years.

Accordingly, ReuseThisBag.com has released a study on plastic bags using the latest data from the National Conference of State Legislators, along with various state-and country-level reports.

* Two states (California and Hawaii) have banned plastic bags.

* Four states (Delaware, Maine, Rhode Island, and New York) have mandatory recycling or reuse programs in place.

* 10 states (Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin) have placed preemptive bans on banning plastic bags.

* 200 U.S. municipalities have banned or taxed plastic bags.

* One of those, San Jose, Calif., has seen a reduction of plastic bags in storm drains (89%), rivers (60%), and residential areas (59%).

* Another California municipality, San Francisco, saves $600,000 per year in plastic processing fees.

* Seattle, Wash., meanwhile, has experienced a reduction of plastic bags in both residential (48%) and commercial (76%) waste.

PIGS SPREADING FLU A CONTINUED CONCERN

The spread of influenza among pigs is common at fairs and other gatherings, and protective measures--including cutting the length of time pigs and people congregate--make good sense for both the animals and humans, indicate the authors of a study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, a publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.

Though most of these virus infections cause mild, manageable...