H-E-B GIVING AWAY FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
SAN ANTONIO — H.E. Butt Grocery Co. here, along with other retailers in central Texas counties, has launched a program to encourage residents to practice energy efficiency. The supermarket began giving away energy-saving fluorescent lightbulbs this month in five stores, and plans to continue until 3,000 lightbulbs are claimed by consumers.
MEIJER USING TEXT MESSAGING FOR GAS PRICES
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer here is expanding a program to text message customers when gas prices are about to rise, giving them three to four hours to fill up at the cheaper price. The program was tested in Indianapolis and will be expanded to stores in all five states where Meijer operates in May, according to last week's published reports. Customers can sign up by calling a toll-free number, sending a text message to Meijer or registering online.
FDA FACING LAWSUIT OVER PLAN B
WASHINGTON — Emergency contraceptive Plan B is again at the center of controversy. Conservative organizations and other groups filed a federal lawsuit this month against the Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md., to overturn its August approval of the contraceptive pill for over-the-counter use by women 18 and older. The Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America along with Safe Drugs for Women, all here, and the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, Tucson, Ariz., filed the suit, saying the FDA lacks authority to approve the drug as OTC for some ages but not for others. Women 18 and over may obtain the drug without a prescription but not those under 18. It also alleges the FDA was not authorized to require the OTC drug be sold from behind the pharmacy counter. They also said manufacturer, Barr Pharmaceuticals, Woodcliff Lake, N.J., did not establish Plan B as safe or effective.
