Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Defense Dept. Will Track Overdoses Among Troops, Issue Naloxone
Military.com: Defense Department To Begin Tracking Drug Overdoses, Providing Antidote Drug Naloxone
A new law will require the Pentagon to start compiling data in 2024 on overdoses within the ranks, and to make available to troops an antidote for opioid overdoses, as the U.S. continues to battle increasing casualties from the fentanyl crisis. Previously, overdoses within the military -- fatal and non-fatal -- weren't systematically tracked. The Defense Department will now have to maintain information such as what substances were involved in an overdose, whether doctor-prescribed drugs were also involved in an overdose, and how many overdoses are deemed intentional or accidental, following the passage of the annual defense policy bill last month. (Baker, 1/9)
On alcohol use —
The Denver Post: Am I Drinking Too Much? Here Are Two Ways To Find Out
If you’re wondering whether you’re drinking too much, the answer might depend on whether you’re thinking about your long-term risk of disease, or about whether your relationship with alcohol is becoming unhealthy right now. (Wingerter, 1/8)
The Boston Globe: App Helps Track The Days You Don’t Consume Alcohol
“We know that one-third of US drinkers are trying to cut back on alcohol, and Track Record will enable users to easily log the days they stay dry,” says Athletic chief marketing officer Andrew Katz.The app works like many other health tracking apps, allowing users to mark their number of dry days and then view their progress in a calendar, as well as showing dry “streaks” and dry days by percentage. The goal, Katz says, is to motivate users without the rigidness of a traditional Dry January routine, where even one day of drinking might chalk the whole month up as a loss. (Dzen, 1/9)
In other health and wellness news —
Reuters: Salmonella Tests Negative At Mexico Cantaloupe Plant Amid Outbreak
Tests were negative for traces of salmonella at a cantaloupe-processing plant in Mexico amid an investigation into a deadly outbreak in the United States and Canada, Mexico said on Tuesday. Mexican health officials in December ordered the temporary closure of the plant in the northern state of Sonora and took samples from surfaces and water. Health authorities in both countries have implicated Mexico's Malichita- and Rudy-branded cantaloupes as the sources of the outbreak and issued recalls of the fruit. (1/9)
The Washington Post: Pets May Lower Your Dementia Risk
Good news — your dog might be good for your brain. Among adults 50 or older who live alone, those with a pet were found to have less decline in verbal memory and verbal fluency than those without one, according to research published in the journal JAMA Network Open based on data from 7,945 people in that age group. (Searing, 1/8)
The Washington Post: How Plastic Hides In Supposedly Eco-Friendly Laundry Products
Laundry sheets, an alternative to pods, often come in plastic-free packaging but contain plastic as a top ingredient. (Coren, 1/9)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: In some states, anglers have little guidance about the “forever chemicals” in freshwater fish, and California once again expands access to its Medicaid program, opening the door wider for immigrants regardless of age or legal status. (1/9)
