Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Teens Are Ditching Drinking But Taking Up Toking: Study
USA Today: Teen Drinking Is Down But Marijuana Use Is Up, And More Popular, Study Suggests
The increase in cannabis use could be happening because the risk perception of the drug is steadily dropping, said Dr. Christian Hopfer, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who was not involved in this study. (Martin, 9/28)
On cancer treatment —
The Texas Tribune: Texas Congresswoman Wants Better Access To Cancer Care For Female Veterans
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia plans to introduce a bill this week that aims to significantly change the way veteran women’s cancer care is handled by Veterans Affairs. (Erickson, 9/28)
The Washington Post: Katie Couric, Cancer-Screening Advocate, Announces Her Own Diagnosis
Katie Couric announced Wednesday that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June and has undergone surgery and radiation treatment. In a first-person essay posted to her website, the news media personality, 65, said she received the Stage 1 diagnosis after missing an annual mammogram. (Rao, 9/28)
Fortune: Mammograms Can Help Prevent Breast Cancer, But 22% Of Women Have Never Had One
Preventive care is crucial to detecting diseases, but with busy calendars and lengthy to-do lists, scheduling appointments isn’t always top of mind. According to a survey by Orlando Health, 22% of women between the ages of 35 to 44 have never gotten a mammogram and have no plans of getting one. The survey also revealed that less than half of U.S. women know their family history of breast cancer and only about a third know their individual risk factors for breast cancer. The findings are troubling to doctors who know that early detection is key to preventing breast cancer, which claims the lives of about 42,000 women each year. (Payton, 9/28)
In other health and wellness news —
Stateline: 'Shocking' Rise In STIs During COVID Alarms Health Workers
In 2019, Columbus, Ohio, had seven reported cases of congenital syphilis, or cases in which a newborn child was infected during pregnancy. Two years later, that number rose to 20. And now? “Year to date, we’ve already seen 28 cases,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, the city’s health commissioner. One of this year’s cases, she added, resulted in the death of a child. (Ollove, 9/28)
Reuters: Amazon.Com Unveils Device That Tracks Breath While Sleeping
Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday announced a contactless gadget that can monitor people's sleep, along with updates to its lineup of voice-controlled devices and e-readers. The online retailer said its $139.99 sleep gadget, known as Halo Rise, tracks room temperature, humidity and light, plus the breathing patterns of the person closest to it. The goal is to provide insight to users on why they may or may not feel well-rested when they wake up. (9/28)
Bloomberg: Why 4-Day Workweeks May Be Better For Your Career And Health
Workers who shifted to 32-hour workweeks logged 7.58 hours per night of sleep, nearly a full hour more than when they were keeping 40-hour workweeks, according to lead researcher Juliet Schor, a sociologist and economist at Boston College who is tracking more than 180 organizations globally as they shift to truncated schedules through six-month pilot programs. (Cohen, 9/28)
The Hill: 200M Pounds Of Toxic Chemicals Dumped Into US Waterways In 2020: Analysis
Polluters in just 10 states were responsible for more than half of the 193.6 million pounds of contaminants released into U.S. waterways in 2020, a new report has found. Toxic discharge flowed into one in every three local watersheds across the country and included many cancer-linked chemicals, according to the findings, published three weeks ahead of the Clean Water Act’s 50th anniversary. (Udasin, 9/28)
KHN: Readers And Tweeters Take A Close Look At Eye Care Traps And White Mulberry Leaf
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (6/29)
