Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
EPA To Water Utilities: Replace All Lead Pipes Within A Decade
The Washington Post: EPA Requires Water Utilities To Replace All Lead Pipes Within A Decade
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule Tuesday requiring water utilities to replace all lead pipes within a decade, a move aimed at eliminating a toxic threat that continues to affect tens of thousands of American children each year. The move, which also tightens the amount of lead allowed in the nation’s drinking water, comes nearly 40 years after Congress determined that lead pipes posed a serious risk to public health and banned them in new construction. (Ajasa and Foster-Frau, 10/8)
AP: American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States announced Monday that it was the victim of a cyberattack, prompting the firm to pause billing to customers. New Jersey-based American Water — which provides services to more than 14 million people in 14 states and on 18 military installations — said it became aware of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and immediately took protective steps, including shutting down certain systems. The company does not believe its facilities or operations were impacted by the attack and said staffers were working “around the clock” to investigate the nature and scope of the attack. (Shipkowski, 10/7)
In other public health news —
The Washington Post: 2 Hours Outside Daily May Reduce Vision Problem In Kids, Study Says
Children should spend up to two hours a day outside to reduce their risk of myopia, or nearsightedness, according to a new consensus report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. At least one of those hours should take place during the school day, the report says. Myopia is a condition in which distant objects are blurry but close-up objects look clear. The National Academies report cites research indicating a significant rise in myopia worldwide. (McMahan, 10/7)
Bloomberg: Cancer Risk In Acne Creams Like Proactiv, Clearasil, Study Finds
A new analysis of acne creams and cleansers found dozens, including popular products like Proactiv and Clearasil, contain high levels of a chemical linked to cancer. The findings confirm some of an earlier study that received criticism for its methods, putting more pressure on the US Food and Drug Administration to take action on products widely used by American teenagers. Researchers tested more than 100 benzoyl peroxide acne products available at major retailers in six states. They found about a third were contaminated with high levels of benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer. (Edney, 10/7)
NBC News: Panera Settles With First Plaintiff In Charged Lemonade Wrongful Death Suits
Panera Bread has settled with the family of an Ivy League student with a heart condition who died after drinking the chain’s highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade drink. Sarah Katz, 21, was a University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition called long QT syndrome type 1 who avoided energy drinks per her doctors’ recommendations, according to a lawsuit filed last year in Philadelphia. (Chuck, 10/7)
NBC News: Arm Position During Blood Pressure Check May Result In Wrong Hypertension Diagnosis, Study Finds
Blood pressure readings may not be accurate unless a person’s arm is positioned correctly, a new study suggests. A comparison of blood pressure readings taken while people held their arms three different ways — leaning on a surface, resting on the lap or hanging by the side of the body — showed certain positions could lead to a significant increase in systolic pressure, the upper number in a blood pressure reading, according to the study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Carroll, 10/7)
KFF Health News: A Boy’s Bicycling Death Haunts A Black Neighborhood. 35 Years Later, There’s Still No Sidewalk
It’s been 35 years since John Parker died after a pickup collided with the bike he was riding on Cheek Road in east Durham before school. He was 6. His mother, Deborah Melvin-Muse, doesn’t display photos of him, the second-youngest of six children. His brother’s birthday was the day after the crash — and he hasn’t celebrated it since. ... And Cheek Road, in a predominantly Black neighborhood, still lacks sidewalks for children to safely make their way to the local elementary school. (Rayasam and Clasen-Kelly, 10/8)
