Studies Document Health Impact Of Police Violence On Black Americans
One study reports a pattern of sleep disturbances among Black people after a police-involved killing. Separate research finds racial disparities in injuries that occurred when Tasers and similar weapons were used by police to incapacitate people.
AP:
The Effect Of Police Violence On Black Americans' Health Is Documented In 2 New Studies
The effect of police violence on Black Americans is tracked in two new studies, with one tying police-involved deaths to sleep disturbances and the other finding a racial gap in injuries involving police use of Tasers. The health effects of police violence on Black people “need to be documented as a critical first step to reduce these harms,” three editors of JAMA Internal Medicine wrote in an editorial published Monday with the studies. (Johnson, 2/5)
In other health and wellness news —
NPR:
Drug Busts Of 'Magic Mushrooms' Went Way Up In Recent Years, Study Finds
In recent years, there's been growing interest in psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms" as a potentially beneficial therapy for mental health conditions. At the same time, drug busts of mushrooms went way up between 2017 and 2022, and the amount of the psychedelic substance seized by law enforcement more than tripled, according to a new study. "What I think the results indicate is that shroom availability has likely been increasing," says Joseph Palamar, an epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health and the main author of the new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. (Chatterjee, 2/6)
CNN:
Healthy Living May Battle Cognitive Decline Even With Signs Of Dementia In The Brain, Study Suggests
Living a healthy lifestyle with a focus on a nutritious diet, regular exercise, minimum alcohol consumption and other healthy habits can help keep your brain sharp into old age, doctors say. But what if your brain already has signs of beta amyloid or tau — two of the hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s and other brain pathologies? Will a healthy lifestyle still protect you from cognitive decline? (LaMotte, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Why Some Therapists Are Taking Their Clients Outdoors
Mental health practitioners are hiking, camping and braving the elements with their clients — all in an effort to help them connect with the Earth, and with themselves. (Caron, 2/5)
Stateline:
Gunfire, Screams, Carnage: As Mass Shootings Proliferate, Training Gets More Realistic
First responders and law enforcement agents have for decades used simulations to train for mass casualty events such as shootings or natural disasters, especially after the Columbine school shooting in 1999. But in recent years, as mass shootings have become increasingly common in the United States, the simulations have become more and more realistic. Now they feature visceral sound effects, trained actors, pyrotechnics and even virtual reality. The trainings also have become more and more expensive for public agencies. (Vasilogambros, 2/5)
In celebrity news —
People:
Toby Keith Dead At 62 Following Stomach Cancer Diagnosis
Country singer Toby Keith, known for hits such as “Red Solo Cup” and “Should Have Been a Cowboy,” has died. He was 62. The singer-songwriter “passed peacefully” on Monday night, his family shared in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2022. (Walcott, 2/6)
CNN:
Bob Beckwith, 9/11 Rescuer Who Stood Next To President George W. Bush Atop Debris, Dies At 91
Bob Beckwith, the former New York City firefighter who famously stood alongside President George W. Bush atop a charred fire truck in the rubble of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, has died, according to the union representing New York firefighters and former US Rep. Peter King. He was 91. The cause of Beckwith’s death was not immediately released. He had malignant skin cancer, along with other health problems, he told Focus on the Family last year. (Yan and Rose, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Cancer Diagnosis Like King Charles’s Is Not Unheard-Of
A patient checks into the hospital for a routine procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. And, unexpectedly, a test done in the hospital — perhaps a blood test or an X-ray or an examination of the urethra and the bladder — finds a cancer. Apparently, something like that happened to King Charles III. When the British monarch was treated for an enlarged prostate in January, doctors found a cancer that the palace said is not prostate cancer. Charles started treatment Monday. The palace did not disclose what had led to the king’s diagnosis. (Kolata, 2/6)
