Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gun Violence Pushes Up Health Costs By $1 Billion Yearly
Politico: Health Costs Of Gun Violence Exceed $1 Billion A Year, GAO Says
Treating firearm-related injuries in the U.S. costs more than $1 billion annually, with public health programs like Medicaid picking up most of the tab, according to new Government Accountability Office estimates shared with POLITICO. The assessment was requested by House and Senate Democrats last year and comes as the Biden administration is encouraging cities to spend unused Covid relief funds to address gun violence. (Ollstein and Wu, 7/14)
In other public health news —
The Washington Post: Federal Regulators Sue Amazon Over Firm’s Refusal To Recall Dangerous Products
Federal safety regulators filed a lawsuit against Amazon on Wednesday that accuses the retail giant of refusing to recognize regulators’ authority to force the company to recall defective and unsafe products, setting up a fight over how much responsibility Amazon should take for the products it sells on its website. The action by the Consumer Product Safety Commission comes after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations between regulators and Amazon as the agency tried to persuade the company to follow the CPSC’s rules for getting dangerous products off the market, according to a senior agency official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to comment on internal discussions. (Frankel and Greene, 7/14)
NPR: Johnson & Johnson Recalls 5 Aerosol Sunscreens After Finding Carcinogen Traces
Johnson & Johnson announced Wednesday that the company is recalling five of its aerosol sunscreen products due to the discovery of trace amounts of benzene, a carcinogen, in some samples. The company said consumers should stop using the affected cannisters, which include solely Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol sunscreen products. The recall covers all can sizes and SPF levels, which were distributed nationwide. (Diaz, 7/15)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Lifts Swimming Ban At Dockweiler, El Segundo Beaches
Los Angeles County public health officials late Wednesday lifted restrictions on swimming around El Segundo Beach and Dockweiler State Beach that were put in place after an emergency discharge of 17 million gallons of sewage Sunday night raised concerns about contamination. In a news release, the county Department of Public Health said it had authorized the reopenings after results from ocean water samples collected over the last two days met state standards for water quality. (Miller, 7/14)
Health News Florida: State Of Emergency Requested For St. Pete Red Tide Outbreak
St. Petersburg spokesman Ben Kirby said city officials had reached out for state help in dealing with red tide, which has resulted in 15 tons of dead fish hauled ashore by city crews. But they had not received a response by late Tuesday. That comes on the heels of a letter written by state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried asking the governor to declare a state of emergency. Fried, a Democrat running for governor, asked Republican Gov. Ron Desantis to issue an executive order that would help Tampa Bay counties affected by red tide. (Newborn, 7/14)
Roll Call: Lawmakers Push For Lyme Disease Research As Tick Population Climbs
Tick-borne disease is on the rise across the nation, and lawmakers are pushing to invest more this year in diagnostics and research to help the hundreds of thousands of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States, appearing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Roughly 476,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of actual infections is likely higher, experts say, as many infected people do not receive a test and Lyme disease tests are often inaccurate. (Cohen, 7/14)
CIDRAP: Report: Restaurant Chains Still Failing On Antibiotics In Beef
The latest evaluation of how the nation's major restaurant chains are faring when it comes to responsible use of antibiotics in beef shows most continue to get a failing grade. The sixth annual Chain Reaction Scorecard, which grades the top 20 US fast food and casual sit-down restaurants on their antibiotic use policies for beef sourcing, and how those policies are implemented and monitored, gave 12 chains "F" grades for taking no public action to reduce routine antibiotic use in their beef supplies. Three companies earned "D" grades, while three chains earned "C" grades. (Dall, 7/14)
