Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Neurodiversity Reform Is Essential; Ban On Menthol Cigarettes May Be Problematic
Modern Healthcare: Let's Build A 'Neurodiverse-Friendly' Healthcare System
Ben is a nonverbal man in his early 20s who spent six grueling weeks in a psychiatric ward sedated with medication because a doctor misinterpreted his movements, which were due to pain from an undiagnosed hernia. He needed surgery, not chemical restraints. Ben is not alone. According to researchers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 16 million Americans with disabilities such as Down Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and intellectual disability (low IQ). That is almost equal to the number of new cancer cases each year. (Dr. Mai Pham, Julia Bascom and Dr. Richard Antonelli, 5/3)
The Washington Post: Banning Menthol Cigarettes Could Put Black Smokers In A New Kind Of Danger
Smoking is bad for you, and any measure that helps people quit is theoretically good. But the federal government’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes leaves a sour taste in my mouth — and not a nicotine-flavored one. Making it illegal to make or sell Newports, Kools and other such brands will have a massively disparate impact on African American smokers, nearly 85 percent of whom smoke menthols. By contrast, only around 30 percent of White smokers and 35 percent of Hispanic smokers choose menthol-flavored varieties. Black smokers have every right to feel targeted by the planned prohibition. (Eugene Robinson, 5/3)
Stat: Unlocking Federal Funding For Fentanyl Test Strips Will Save Lives
It has been said that the opposite of addiction is connection. Covid-19, however, has frayed societal connections. For Americans with substance use disorder, connections that were already fragile are at a serious breaking point. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased risk of using drugs alone, changes to the drug supply, and initiation or increased use of substances by individuals. Right now, the U.S. is facing unprecedented levels of overdose deaths, with an estimated more than 90,000 overdose deaths from October 2019 through September 2020. Driving this is the increasing availability and use — both knowingly and unknowingly — of highly potent, illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. (Regina LaBelle, Tom Coderre and Rochelle Walensky, 5/4)
The Baltimore Sun: Employers Have A Role To Play In Combating The Opioid Crisis
At a New York hospital, a custodial worker passed out in a bathroom stall. In Ohio, police found a municipal employee slumped over his steering wheel in an IHOP parking lot. These individuals overdosed on the job — demonstrating how the opioid crisis has reared its head in America’s workplaces. According to federal government statistics, the opioid crisis costs the U.S. economy approximately $500 billion annually. And, contrary to public perceptions, most drug abusers are gainfully employed. Lifesaving interventions in the opioid crisis could happen, therefore, not in courts, hospitals or family living rooms, but instead in office cubicles. This past year I’ve worked with a digital health care start-up that provides technical support to improve medication adherence for a variety of diseases, including substance use disorder. In the course of my work, I’ve gained detailed knowledge about the convoluted landscape of private health insurance. In the United States, with no single payer, employers have an outsize role in the health and well-being of their employees. (Leah Smith, 5/3)
