Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: One Quick Solution Can Save Lives During Opioid Epidemic
The Washington Post: One Easy, Cost-Free Thing Trump Can Do To Ease The Opioid Crisis
President Trump declared the opioid addiction epidemic a public-health emergency in October, but more than seven months later, he and his administration have yet to take the steps that would help those fighting the epidemic on the front lines. Addressing a crisis that is devastating communities across the country and killing more Americans than gun violence or car crashes requires the federal government to take difficult actions — including providing robust resources and aggressively challenging the stigma associated with addiction. (Robert Weissman and Leana Wen, 6/11)
Detroit News: Don't Block Experienced Drug Counselors
Just read the headlines and it’s clear we have a problem: “Michigan falls short in frontline treatment for opioid crisis”; “The rise of deadly street opioid leads to more overdoses”; or “Michigan Roulette: The rise of a deadly street opioid.” So, you would think our state government would be encouraging more treatment professionals to enter the field. Instead, it is dissuading them. Often, people who are best at helping those with addictions find recovery are those who have been there themselves. People like myself, a recovery support specialist and transitional house manager with Dawn Farm in Ypsilanti. For people like me growing up in the 90s, an altered state of mind was the norm. Stints in the Michigan Department of Corrections and boot camp for larceny and drunken driving never did the trick. It wasn’t until I was guided by experienced and dedicated social workers that I was shown a different way. (Michael Meza, 6/11)
Miami Herald: Parkland Students’ Summer Tour Will Fight Gun Violence At The Voting Booth
On Thursday, a large group of Stoneman Douglas graduates will set out on a nationwide summer bus tour to bring about change in America. Half a century ago, it was students protesting the Vietnam War. Today, the students’ mission is to end a domestic war, one we’re waging on ourselves through gun violence. (6/12)
The New York Times: On An Average Day, 96 Americans Die By Firearms
In the two years since the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., there have been at least 700 mass shootings — defined as involving four or more victims — across the United States. Yet mass shootings represent just a fraction of the nation’s gun violence. On an average day, 96 Americans die by firearms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About two in every three of those are suicides. (6/10)
Bloomberg: Playing With Crispr, Investors Get Burned
It may seem obvious, but it’s a lesson that never seems to stick with biotech investors: Assigning billions of dollars in value to a medical innovation that’s barely been tested in humans isn’t the greatest idea. For those who need to learn the hard way, a fresh reminder came Monday. Shares of companies tied to a heavily hyped, but unproven, gene-editing technology called Crispr were sent reeling after two studies published in Nature found a potential cancer risk. (Max Nisen, 6/11)
