Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Only Bold Action Can Protect Teens From Dangers Of Vaping; Lessons From Hollywood On The Growing Despair Of The Homeless
Stat: President Trump: Follow Through On Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes
Optimism among public health advocates regarding the Trump administration's pending action on flavored e-cigarettes, which have put millions of our kids at risk of nicotine addiction and worse, has turned to alarm. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump echoed the concerns of millions of parents in September when they first addressed the skyrocketing rise of e-cigarette use among youths. At the time, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the administration intends to “clear the market” of all flavored e-cigarettes to address the skyrocketing rates of e-cigarette use by youths and adolescents. (Nancy Brown, 11/18)
The Washington Post: The Trump Administration Appears To Be Second-Guessing Its Flavored Vaping Ban. Good.
Who could have guessed? Unilaterally banning a product that millions of adults use isn’t exactly an easy task. As The Post reported Thursday, the Trump administration appears to be second-guessing the details of its proposal to ban flavored vaping products. The final rule was expected to have been made public in the last few days, given that the White House had signed off on the policy more than a week ago. (Robert Gebelhoff, 11/15)
Los Angeles Times: Hollywood Strains To Deal With Homelessness Crisis
One day on Carlos Avenue in Hollywood last month, just south of the 101 Freeway, I met a woman who goes by the name Raven. She said she was 29, had been homeless since she was 17, and headed west in June from her home in Ohio. Why L.A.? Why not? (Steve Lopez, 11/17)
Los Angeles Times: One L.A. Cop Tries To Make A Difference On Homelessness
LAPD Det. Shannon Geaney reports daily to what looks like anarchy, bedlam, madness. She works Hollywood, and her beat is homelessness. On a recent morning, her first call of the day sent her to a small park near Selma Avenue Elementary School, where a man known as Papa Smurf had overdosed on opioids. A nurse from the nearby LGBT Center was summoned before Geaney, and she had administered two shots of naloxone, but Papa Smurf wasn’t responding. (Steve Lopez, 11/17)
Los Angeles Times: Hollywood Residents Cope With Homeless Camps
The trash, the fights, the drugs, the blaring music. For months, it was relentless. “It was intolerable,” said Greg, who lives in a Hollywood neighborhood surrounded by homeless encampments, including one that until recently was just a few feet from the windows of his apartment. He wore headphones and turned up the AC to drown out the cacophony. Nothing worked. “You have no idea the hell I was living.” (Steve Lopez, 11/17)
