Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Overdose Crisis Tops Death Records In San Francisco, New York City
Fox News: ‘Zombie Apocalypse’: San Francisco On Track To Crush Overdose Death Record As Addicts Die In Streets
San Francisco is poised to surpass a record-breaking year for overdose deaths. ... "There's so much fentanyl that it's contaminated other drugs sold on the street like meth and crack cocaine. It's in everything," Tom Wolf, a former drug user and current recovery advocate, told Fox News. He said the surge in overdoses is because the amount of fentanyl on the streets has increased threefold compared to 2020. (Raasch, 9/25)
ABC News: Overdose Crisis Reaches Historic Levels In New York City
The overdose crisis has reached historic levels in New York City, according to new data from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Provisional data shows there were 3,026 overdose deaths in New York City in 2022, the highest total since the department began recording such incidents in 2000. Newly released data shows that overdose deaths increased by 12% from 2021 to 2022. Fentanyl was detected in 81% of drug overdose deaths in New York City, according to the data. (Alfonseca, 9/25)
The New York Times: Online Marijuana Shops Make It Easy For Minors To Buy, Study Finds
Many online marijuana dispensaries do not enforce age limits on purchases, and they have other lax policies that enable minors to buy cannabis on the internet, according to a new study published on Monday in The Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. ... The study found that 18.8 percent of dispensaries, or nearly one in five, “required no formal age verification at any stage of the purchasing process.” And that more than 80 percent accepted “nontraceable” payment methods, like prepaid cards or cash, thus “enabling youth to hide their transactions,” the authors noted. (Richel, 9/25)
In other public health news —
The Boston Globe: First Human Case Of Jamestown Canyon Virus Found In New Hampshire This Year, Officials Say
The first human case of Jamestown Canyon virus this year has been identified in New Hampshire, where public health officials have also discovered two cases of Powassan virus, both of which are spread by bites from insects. A virus spread by mosquito bites, JCV was identified in an adult in HIllsborough County, the Division of Public Health Services said Monday. (Ellement, 9/25)
Wyoming Public Radio: Healthy Aging Report Highlights Factors Influencing Health And Wellbeing For Those Over 65
Wyoming's population is aging fast. The number of people 65 and older has increased nearly 50 percent in the last decade — far outpacing every other age demographic. A new report from the Wyoming Healthy Aging Coalition compiles data about this rapidly growing population. It pulled together 130 indicators of health and wellbeing, covering a vast range of metrics about Wyoming's oldest residents and the resources they need — from the prevalence of chronic conditions to the degree of internet access to the affordability of housing. (Victor, 9/25)
PBS NewsHour: Patients Say Drugs Like Ozempic Help With ‘Food Noise.’ Here’s What That Means
As more people turn to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss, another side effect for some patients has emerged: less so-called “food noise,” or food chatter. The terms refer to constant or intrusive thoughts or preoccupation about food, said Dr. Karla Lester, an obesity physician and pediatrician. Whereas “hunger would be the physiologic sensation that you need to eat … food noise and food chatter is more like the craving mind.” (Kuhn, 9/25)
Also —
KFF Health News: A Decades-Long Drop In Teen Births Is Slowing, And Advocates Worry A Reversal Is Coming
Cicely Wilson’s work doesn’t end when she leaves her day job as a lactation consultant, doula, and child care expert. Wilson founded a nonprofit called Sunnyside Up Youth Pregnancy Services, which connects girls ages 13 to 19 with resources they need to care for their babies. After-hours, she looks for affordable Nashville apartments, books medical appointments, tries to find strollers and other baby supplies, and hosts conversations with pregnant teens about breastfeeding and preparing mentally for childbirth. (Sweeney, 9/26)
In obituaries —
The Washington Post: Burkey Belser, Designer Of Ubiquitous Nutrition Facts Label, Dies At 76
Burkey Belser, a graphic designer who created the ubiquitous nutrition facts label — a stark rectangle listing calories, fat, sodium and other content information — that adorns the packaging of nearly every digestible product in grocery stores, died Sept. 25 at his home in Bethesda, Md. He was 76. ... Mr. Belser’s nutrition facts label — rendered in bold and light Helvetica type — was celebrated as a triumph of public health and graphic design when it debuted in 1994 following passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. (Rosenwald, 9/25)
