Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
25 'Sky High' Cannabis Products Recalled In New York
Newsweek: Weed Recall Sparks Warning About Dozens Of Products
The New York State's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) issued a recall for 25 cannabis products sold at licensed dispensaries throughout the state after discovering the products were manufactured by an unlicensed cannabinoid hemp processor. The OCM issued the recall for Eat Sky High LLC's "Sky High" brand on Friday. (Skinner, 7/16)
The Washington Post: What Is ‘Teflon Flu’? It’s Linked To A Coating On Some Nonstick Pans
Over the last two decades, poison centers in the United States have received more than 3,600 reports of suspected cases of “polymer fume fever,” a flu-like illness linked to a chemical coating found on some nonstick pans. ... Last year, there were 267 suspected cases of the little-known illness, which is believed to be one of the highest reported totals since 2000, according to America’s Poison Centers, a nonprofit organization that oversees 55 U.S. poison centers. (Amenabar, 7/16)
Stat: Insulin Users Fear Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly Will Move On Without Them
Around the world, patients suddenly can’t find enough of the insulins made by companies they have long relied on to do so. In the U.S., Novo Nordisk’s recent decision to discontinue a product has left patients with fewer options. At the same time, patients are encountering shortages of other products from Novo and Eli Lilly. For months, pharmacies have been running out of vials of certain insulins that patients use to fill the pumps they wear on their body. (Chen, 7/17)
The Baltimore Sun: Taking Ozempic Or Other Weight-Loss Meds? Watch Your Diet To Avoid ‘Exchanging One Problem For Another’
Almost her entire life, 56-year-old Jennifer Kirtley felt so consumed by food thoughts that immediately after breakfast, she would ponder her lunch menu. Recently, though, Kirtley went almost all day without eating, a noticeable behavior change coming only 3½ months after starting Wegovy, a popular weight-loss medication. “It’s mind-blowing that I have to remember to eat,” said Kirtley of Lake Worth Beach. “But when I am eating less amount of food, I know that I have to pay attention to what I am eating and make sure I am getting nutrients.” (Goodman, 7/16)
Fortune Well: Track Star And Entrepreneur Allyson Felix Will Launch The Olympic Village’s First Nursery: ‘The Systems Aren't In Place For Mothers Whatsoever’
Olympic track star Allyson Felix is headed to Paris this week—but not to compete on the track as she did for the last two decades. Felix, the most decorated Olympian in track and field with 11 medals, will instead be traveling with her family of four to launch the Olympic Village’s inaugural nursery to support parent athletes in partnership with Pampers. “The systems aren’t in place for mothers whatsoever,” Felix, who retired from competing professionally in 2022, tells Fortune. (Mikhail, 7/17)
NPR: Discrimination Complaints Involving Schools Are At A Record High
Sam is a bespectacled 6-year-old with a winning smile and a penchant for dinosaurs, as evidenced by the roaring Tyrannosaurus rex on the back of his favorite shirt. “He loves anything big, and powerful, and scary,” says his mother, Tabitha. Sam grins mischievously as he puts his hands together in a circle — the American Sign Language word for “ball.” He’s telling Tabitha he wants to start his day in the colorful ball pit in a corner of his playroom in their home in central Georgia. (Mehta, 7/16)
Reuters: Exclusive: Health Advocates Target Philip Morris' US Launch Of Heated Tobacco
Health campaigners have written to U.S. regulators accusing Philip Morris International (PM.N) of misrepresenting past regulatory decisions, seeking to disrupt the launch of its flagship heated tobacco device IQOS in the United States. The world's biggest tobacco company by market value has spent billions of dollars developing the product, which investors see as key to driving future growth. But it needs permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell it in the world's second largest tobacco market by revenue. (Rumney, 7/16)
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NPR: A Victory For Opponents Of Female Genital Mutilation In The Gambia
When she was 2, Absa Samba underwent genital cutting – also known as female genital mutilation. “I do not have any memories of what happened to me that day, but I do remember it not being talked about,” she says. Now, Samba is 29 and she speaks openly – and critically – about the practice. She says it undermines the dignity and well-being of women and is a tool used to “control our bodies and our well-being.” (Emanuel, 7/16)
