Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Secondhand Smoke From Bongs Worse Than From Cigarettes: Study
USA Today: Cannabis, Marijuana Bong Smoke More Dangerous Than Cigarettes: Study
You’ve heard about the dangers of secondhand cigarette smoke, but what about secondhand bong smoke? The haze after a bubbly bong hit may appear harmless, but a new study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open found bystanders may be inhaling air pollutants at concentrations more than twice federal air quality limits. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, measured fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in a real-world setting where a group of young adults socially smoked cannabis with a bong for two hours in an ordinary household living room. An aerosol monitor was placed where a nonsmoker might sit, recording PM2.5 levels before, during and after eight sessions. (Rodriguez, 3/30)
San Francisco Chronicle: Bong Smoke Is Worse Than Secondhand Tobacco Smoke, UC Berkeley Study Finds
Turns out that the lasting stink of bong water spilled onto the carpet is not the only danger to smoking marijuana through a tall tube cooled by water at its base. A study conducted at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and published by the journal JAMA Network Open on Wednesday declared that secondhand cannabis smoke released during bong hits contains fine particulate matter at a concentration dangerously higher than that released by secondhand tobacco smoke. (Whiting, 3/30)
In related news about smoking —
Houston Chronicle: 5 Things To Know About Houston's New Ban On Vaping And E-Cigarettes
Houston currently bans tobacco smoking in enclosed public places and seating areas and within 25 feet of any building entrance. Smoking in covered bus stops and light rail stops also is prohibited. As of Wednesday, the smoking ban now includes electronic cigarettes. E-cigarettes, also commonly known as vape pens, have become commonplace in Houston and are often used as an alternative to tobacco smoking. Their use is now restricted in accordance with the citywide smoking ban enacted in 2007 to reduce public secondhand smoke exposure. (Mishanec, 3/30)
In other public health news —
Stat: Obesity Can Turn Helpful Drug Into Harmful One, Mouse Study Shows
Researchers have long known that obesity rewires the immune system. Now a new study suggests these effects can be so profound they could turn a drug meant to treat a common inflammatory disease into one that makes things worse. Scientists discovered that mice with atopic dermatitis, a painful and itchy skin rash often triggered by an allergic reaction, were worse off if they were obese. A closer look at their immune responses led to a surprise finding: Different immune cell types drove the disease in obese versus lean mice. That caused a standard treatment to exacerbate symptoms in heavier animals, but adding another drug that made the immune response of the obese mice resemble those of lean animals made the treatment regimen work again. (Wosen, 3/30)
WGCU: Researchers Continue Studying Possible Health Effects From Airborne Algae Toxins
Researchers from Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida Atlantic University are studying the possible human health impacts caused by airborne toxins produced by blue-green algae through a study called "Cyanotoxins in Air Study." FGCU researchers are focusing on collecting the air sampling data, and researchers from FAU's College of Nursing and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute are working on the human health side of the study. They’ve been collecting air samples in Southwest Florida and across the state in Stuart. Researchers are asking volunteers who live near the water to provide blood, urine and nasal samples. There hasn’t been a major blue-green algae bloom for a few years so they’re collecting baseline data. (Kiniry, 3/30)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Suicide Deaths Rise In Milwaukee County, Officials Highlight Resources
Milwaukee-area leaders on Wednesday highlighted mental health resources available in the community amid an increase in deaths by suicide in the county in recent years, including in 2022. "If you are considering suicide, if you have lost a loved one to suicide, it's important to know that there's also hope and there's also support," said Arnitta Holliman, director of the city of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention, at a news conference. She was one of a series of speakers at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers' National Avenue Clinic who urged residents to seek out the resources available. (Dirr and Rodriguez, 3/30)
Bloomberg: NYC Dismantles More Than 200 Encampments For Homeless People
A New York City task force has removed 239 out of 244 identified homeless encampments over the past two weeks, part of Mayor Eric Adams’s strategy to clean up public spaces and connect people living on the streets with housing and social services. Agencies began clearing public spaces on March 18, giving the encampments a 24-hour notice, Adams said at a briefing Wednesday. Teams offered to connect people living in the encampments with housing options as well as medical and mental health care. Police officers had their body cameras activated during each engagement, city officials said. (Diaz, 3/30)
Bloomberg: Mental-Health Services Come To Women’s Tennis, Inspired By Naomi Osaka
Faced with growing evidence that celebrated athletes are struggling with the pressures of competition and intense media scrutiny, the governing body of women's tennis is turning to a well-funded California startup for help. The Women's Tennis Association agreed to a deal with Modern Health to produce a five-part video series featuring some of the sport's top players in order to raise awareness about mental-health challenges among athletes. The San Francisco-based company will also offer players the chance to connect with mental-health coaches and therapists in its network. The WTA has more than 1,600 members who could be eligible to use the services. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. (Shaw, 3/30)
St. Louis Public Radio: She Gave Her Kidney To A High School Acquaintance — And It Changed His Life
John “JT” Thomas was a healthy 20-year-old in 2011. But at that year’s family Thanksgiving gathering, he found that he couldn’t even finish his first plate of food. His appetite was gone — and he was increasingly lightheaded. His physicians had a chilling response to his symptoms, one that he recalls even today: “You shouldn’t be able to walk right now.” “It was a complete shock to the system,” Thomas recalled on St. Louis on the Air. Soon after, Thomas was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a disease in which scar tissue develops on the small parts of the kidneys that filter waste from the blood. (Woodbury, 3/30)
