Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Marijuana Smoke Linked To Several Toxins, Study Says
CNN: Toxins In Marijuana Smoke May Be Harmful To Health, Study Finds
Smoking weed may expose you to the same type of toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke, a new study finds. People who only smoked marijuana had higher blood and urine levels of several smoke-related toxins such as naphthalene, acrylamide and acrylonitrile than nonsmokers, according to the study published Monday in the journal EClinicalMedicine. (LaMotte, 1/11)
In other public health news —
The Washington Post: Beyond Covid-19, Rural Areas Face Growing Threat From Chronic Heart And Lung Diseases
With covid-19 raging through many rural areas and health-care systems, it’s easy to not notice that another killer has been silently growing in deadliness there: chronic diseases of the heart and lungs. Heart disease is the leading killer of people around the world. Research we published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that not only is the death rate from heart disease much higher in rural areas but the disparity between rural and urban mortality has nearly doubled from 1999 to 2017. Among people between ages 25 and 64, there is a disconcerting reversal of progress in heart disease mortality. (Warraich, Califf and Cross, 1/9)
The Wall Street Journal: The NBA Postpones Another Game As Covid Problems Multiply
The NBA is facing the first major Covid-19 test of its new season with cases spiking, games teetering and more than two dozen players on 13 teams in quarantine or isolation over the weekend as the league struggles to keep playing through the worst days of the pandemic. The league postponed the Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat game scheduled for Sunday night after contact tracing left the Heat without the eight players needed to field a team and the Celtics barely had enough themselves. (Cohen, 1/10)
AP: Prosecutor: Veteran Embezzled Nearly $1M In Benefits
A North Carolina Vietnam veteran embezzled nearly $1 million in health care benefits from the government that helped support a lifestyle that included dancing, playing basketball and buying a beach condo, according to federal prosecutors. Federal prosecutors based in Winston-Salem said in a news release that 73-year-old Willie Dosher Cain of Fayetteville had pleaded guilty in 2020 to one count of embezzlement and was sentenced on Jan. 5 of this year to five years of probation. United States District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder said that Cain’s age and the COVID-19 pandemic influenced his sentencing decision. (1/10)
In news about health and race —
The Hill: Black Leaders Promote Vaccine To Help Overcome Community Skepticism
Black elected officials and political leaders are making a concerted push to Black members of their communities to accept the coronavirus vaccines and overcome a deep-rooted skepticism that is the result of historical mistreatment of Black Americans by the medical industry. A series of prominent Black leaders have publicized the shots they have received in hopes of boosting vaccine acceptance in communities that have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. (Wilson, 1/8)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Woman Helps Educate African Americans About The Increased Threat Of Alzheimer’s Disease They Face
Alzheimer’s disease can start with something as simple as misplacing things or having difficulty completing daily tasks. Marlyn Taylor, family care coordinator with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Maryland Chapter, knows the signs of the disease. In fact, this month she will hold a virtual session to educate the public — especially Black people — about how to spot the 10 signs of Alzheimer’s. (Williams IV, 1/11)
