Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Teen-Specific Addiction Treatment Options Lag, But New Efforts Aim To Fix The Disparity
NPR: For Teenagers, Adult-Sized Opioid Addiction Treatment Doesn't Fit
Deaths from heroin overdose in all age groups doubled from 2010 to 2012, according to a 2014 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response, communities are seeking new strategies to treat addiction and speed access to care. That includes trying to meet the unique needs of youth after years of addiction treatments geared to adults. Serenity Mesa is one of those youth-centered efforts. (Benson, 1/15)
NPR: Warning Labels Might Help Parents Buy Fewer Sugary Drinks, Study Finds
Lately, the idea of affixing a health warning label to sugary beverages has been getting traction. So far, no city or state has been able to pass such a measure. But several are trying. California, New York and Baltimore all have legislation in the works requiring these labels on sugary drinks. Until now, the effectiveness of such a label has been presumptive, drawing from the large body of research showing that warning labels on tobacco and alcohol products work. But research appearing in the journal Pediatrics Thursday suggests that a warning label on sugary beverages might indeed deter people from buying the products. (Barclay, 1/14)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn Starts A 'Cafe' For Alzheimer's Patients And Caregivers
Dementia can ruin a social life. Friends don't know how to act around someone whose brain is failing, and people with dementia often withdraw as social situations get more confusing. As a result, people with Alzheimer's or another memory-robbing dementia - and their caregivers - can become isolated. Knowing that, Genevieve Ilg, a social-work graduate student who is interning at the Penn Memory Center, was intrigued when she read about "memory cafés," a European innovation that is slowly taking hold in the United States. (Burling, 1/14)
