Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Youth Suicide Attempts By OTC Drug Poisonings Surge In US
Bloomberg: Youth Suicide Attempts By Poisoning With Over-The-Counter Drugs Surge In US
Rates of suspected suicide attempts by poisoning among US children and teenagers surged 30% from pre-pandemic levels, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Peng, 4/20)
Bloomberg: TikTok’s Algorithm Keeps Pushing Suicide To Vulnerable Teens
TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t know Chase Nasca is dead. More than a year after Nasca killed himself at age 16, his account remains active. Scroll through his For You feed, and you see an endless stream of clips about unrequited love, hopelessness, pain and what many posts glorify as the ultimate escape: suicide. (Carville, 4/20)
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In other health and wellness news —
The Washington Post: Weed Doesn't Have An Impact On Creativity, New Study Shows
New research suggests that cannabis may not be a gateway drug to creativity after all. “Almost everyone thinks that cannabis makes them more creative. And it seems like that assumption is not supported by the data,” said Christopher Barnes, professor of organizational behavior at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and an author of the study. (Sima, 4/20)
Fox News: Love That ‘New Car Smell’? Study Says There Are Cancer-Causing Chemicals To Consider
There's just nothing like that "new car smell," many people believe. There is a health angle to consider, though. A recent study by the Beijing Institute of Technology and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, found that the cabin of a new vehicle contained 20 common "volatile organic compounds" (VOCs), which could potentially contain cancer-causing agents. (Rudy, 4/20)
The Washington Post: EPA Proposes To Ban Most Uses Of Methylene Chloride, A Toxic Solvent
The Biden administration is proposing a widespread ban on a toxic chemical used in paint strippers that has been linked to dozens of accidental deaths, the first of several long-awaited moves planned for this year to bolster the country’s chemical-safety rules. The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday its plan would ban methylene chloride for all consumer use and most industrial and commercial uses. EPA officials say that would go much further than past efforts, though it falls short of a total ban some health groups have called for in the past. (Puko, 4/20)
USA Today: Soda, Lemonade Linked To Premature Death In People With Diabetes
Americans may want to think twice about reaching for that cool glass of lemonade this summer after a study published this week found sugary drinks may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease and death in certain people. (Rodriguez, 4/21)
Stat: Herpes Patients Mobilize To Demand Government Action
A medical student spoke emotionally about grappling with a diagnosis his classes told him little about. A young queer man took one test, got a different result on the next, and is now saving up the money needed for the most advanced diagnostics, which insurers rarely cover. A young woman tested positive, got little guidance from her doctor and found information on government sites that she interpreted as pushing abstinence. (Mast, 4/21)
Roll Call: Ageism, Stigma Hinders Response To Senior Alcohol Use Disorder
Older adults are increasingly drinking excessively and dying of alcohol-related deaths, and the problem has been compounded by ageism, stigma, a lack of interest from policymakers and health care providers and few age-appropriate treatment options, experts say. (Hellmann, 4/20)
USA Today: Why Does Hair Turn Gray? Research Points To Stem Cells Getting Stuck
It has happened to tons of people: strands of hair that were once brown, black, or other shades now appear gray. Why does that happen? Hair color is determined by melanocyte stem cells that multiply inside hair follicles, previous research has shown. These stem cells get signals to mature and make proteins that produce hair color. (Martin, 4/20)
