Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Menthol Cigarettes Linked To Greater Difficulty In Quitting Smoking
Stat: Smokers Of Menthol Cigarettes Have A Harder Time Quitting
A new study published Tuesday finds that smoking menthol cigarettes versus unflavored cigarettes is associated with reduced success in quitting among people who smoke nearly every day. In recent years, the FDA has moved to ban almost all flavored cigarettes and cigars, but menthol has remained the lone holdout. Even so, the agency proposed such a ban in April, and researchers say the new findings support this ban. (Lloreda, 7/6)
Axios: Americans Drank More Alcohol During The Pandemic
Americans responded to the stress of the pandemic by drinking more — a lot more for some — and there's a risk that those habits could stick. Why it matters: Excessive drinking is connected to a variety of health and social ills, but the growing ubiquity of alcohol in daily life can make cutting back harder than ever. By the numbers: Americans started drinking more as soon as the pandemic began in full last year — data from Nielsen showed a 54% increase in national alcohol sales year-on-year in the week ending on March 21, 2020. And as the pandemic wore on, so did Americans' drinking. (Walsh, 7/7)
In other public health news —
The Boston Globe: Recall Of Sleep Apnea Machines Leaves Many In The Lurch, And Worried
People with sleep apnea repeatedly stop breathing while they sleep, only to be partially or fully awakened when their brains don’t get enough oxygen. It deprives those who have it of restful sleep, and it is linked to a range of ailments, including high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver dysfunction. Using a machine known as a CPAP is the most widely used treatment for sleep apnea. Users wear a mask or nosepiece attached to the machine that provides a steady flow of pressurized air while they sleep. But Philips Respironics, the world’s largest manufacturer of CPAPs, last month issued an urgent recall of as many as 4 million of its machines, including Curran’s. (Murphy, 7/6)
The New York Times: Do We Really Need To Take 10,000 Steps A Day For Our Health?
Fitness tracking devices often recommend we take 10,000 steps a day. But the goal of taking 10,000 steps, which many of us believe is rooted in science, in fact rests on coincidence and sticky history rather than research. According to Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an expert on step counts and health, the 10,000-steps target became popular in Japan in the 1960s. (Reynolds, 7/6)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Temple Research Finds That Tweaking CBD May Help It Curb Pain And Opioid Use In Mice
The next generation of cannabis-inspired medicine might be grown in test tubes instead of greenhouses. Researchers at Temple University have partnered with Doylestown-based pharmaceutical company Neuropathix to develop a synthetic molecule based on cannabidiol (CBD) that can provide more potent pain relief than CBD itself. They are currently studying it for a type of chronic pain caused by nerve damage due to chemotherapy. The CBD-based drug could offer an appealing alternative to addictive opioids and milder painkillers to treat chronic pain. (Nathan, 7/6)
Politico: A Hidden Abortion Crew Prepares To Confront A Post-Roe America
The Supreme Court’s decision to review Mississippi’s stringent restrictions on abortion — putting Roe vs. Wade under its roughest stress test yet — is being seen as a call to action for the nation’s community of underground abortion activists. And they make it clear they’re prepared to defy any laws banning abortion. (Tahir, 7/6)
Stat: 36 Books And Podcasts On Health And Science To Check Out This Summer
In this time of transition, we’re back with our annual list of health, medicine, and science books to check out this summer — and this time we’ve thrown podcasts in the mix, too. Read on for recommendations from the likes of Anthony Fauci, Rochelle Walensky, and Chelsea Clinton. Plus, STAT readers from New York to Sweden share their picks, in addition to our staff. Enjoy! (Mupo, 7/6)
