Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
At-Home Methadone Dosing Deemed Safe By Study
AP: Relaxed Methadone Rules Appear Safe, Researchers Find
As the coronavirus pandemic shut down the nation in March of 2020, the U.S. government told methadone clinics they could allow stable patients with opioid addiction to take their medicine at home unsupervised. Methadone, an opioid itself, can be dangerous in large amounts and most patients are required to take the liquid medicine daily at clinics. It wasn’t clear whether the relaxed take-home policy would cause more harm than good. Now, a new study of fatal overdoses from January 2019 to August 2021 suggests that easing access was safe. It did not lead to more deaths involving the treatment drug. (Johnson, 7/13)
In other health and wellness news —
USA Today: Adding Salt To Food In Excess Could Lead To Early Death: Health Study
Researchers from Tulane University in Louisiana say frequently adding salt to food is associated with premature death from causes such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, coronary heart disease or cancer; they also said adding salt to foods was linked to a reduction in life expectancy and published the findings this month in the peer-reviewed European Heart Journal. (Martin, 7/12)
The New York Times: Exercise Or Diet Alone Isn’t Enough To Prevent Disease, Study Shows
Health food or exercise alone isn’t enough to prevent chronic disease, new research shows. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t outrun the toll of a poor diet — and healthy eating, on its own, won’t ward off disease. Most people know that working out and eating well are critical components of overall health. But a sweeping study published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that hitting the gym won’t counteract the consequences of consuming fat-laden foods, and mainlining kale can’t cancel out sedentary habits. (Blum, 7/13)
Axios: FDA Sends Over 100 Warning Letters To Firms After New Synthetic Nicotine Law
The FDA said it has issued warnings to two manufacturers for marketing synthetic vaping products without authorization and sent 107 other warning letters to retailers for illegally selling such products to underage buyers in recent days. (Shapero and Falconer, 7/14)
CBS News: Facebook Marketplace Rife With Banned, Recalled Products, Regulator Says
"CPSC staff has found that such consumer products constitute a serious threat to the health and lives of consumers, including infants and toddlers, and are appearing with regular frequency on Facebook Marketplace," CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric stated in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (Gibson, 7/13)
The New York Times: Florida Company Recalls Ice Cream Linked To Listeria Outbreak, F.D.A. Says
A Florida business is recalling its ice cream amid an investigation into a listeria outbreak that has been blamed for the death of one person and the hospitalization of two dozen, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday. The company, Big Olaf Creamery, a family-owned business in Sarasota, Fla., recalled all flavors of its ice cream with expiration dates through June 30 “because it has the potential to be contaminated” with listeria bacteria, the F.D.A. said. (Medina, 7/13)
NPR: GLAAD Gives Social Media Giants Poor Grades Over Lack Of LGBTQ Protections
In a survey, 84% of LGBTQ adults said not enough protections are on social media to prevent discrimination, harassment or disinformation, according to the report. Additionally, 40% of LGBTQ adults, as well as 49% of transgender and nonbinary people, do not feel welcomed and safe on social media. (Diaz, 7/13)
