If Power Outages Are California’s New Normal, What About Home Medical Needs?

Those who rely on plug-in health devices or medicine that requires refrigeration are scrambling to find ways to avoid potentially life-threatening disruptions now and in future fire season shutdowns.

Meth Trip Or Mental Illness? Police Who Need To Know Often Can’t Tell

The calming techniques that officers learn during training to intervene in a mental health crisis don’t seem to work as well when a suspect is high on meth. Meth calls can be much more dangerous, police say.

‘Invincible’ Teen Vapers Face Fears, Ask For Help

Starting to vape is easy, but quitting a nicotine habit can be tough, teens are finding. Some vaping cessation programs have begun to reach out to teens where they live — on their phones.

California Fires Illuminate Trauma And Resilience

The chaos and evacuations prompted by wind-fueled wildfire in Sonoma County pose special challenges for people in need of ongoing medical treatment. Volunteer medical personnel have stepped up to provide care and a sense of stability.

Farmworkers Face Daunting Health Risks In California’s Wildfires

October marks not only fire season in California, but also the peak of the grape harvest. In areas not imminently threatened by the explosive Kincade Fire in Sonoma County’s fabled vineyards, workers labored through heat and smoke, or faced lost wages.

Snooze You Can Use: California Legislates More Sleep For Better Health

Other states may follow California’s new law requiring later start times for middle and high school students. The new law highlights the importance of better sleep, which will once again be on people’s minds as most of America — but not all — sets the clock back an hour early next month.

Los Angeles Vape District A Black-Market Gateway

A seedy section of downtown Los Angeles has become the go-to place for those who trade in wholesale — and sometimes counterfeit — vaping products. As more people fall ill with a mysterious lung disease linked to e-cigarette use, the manufacture and distribution of vaping products face increased scrutiny.

In Hamburg, ‘Gesundheit’ Means More Than A Wish For Good Health

Even with Germany’s generous universal coverage, sizable health disparities persist between Hamburg’s wealthier and poorer neighborhoods. Two health centers are among those trying to close the gaps.

‘Fear Of Falling’: How Hospitals Do Even More Harm By Keeping Patients In Bed

In what experts call an “epidemic of immobility,” older hospital patients remain stuck in bed, their movements tracked by loud and ineffective bed alarms, losing muscle mass that’s key to their health and daily functioning.