Colorado Wrestles With Ethics Of Aid-In-Dying As Vote Looms
Proposition 106, on Colorado’s ballot next month, would allow doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of medication to people who have less than six months to live. A recent poll shows strong support for the measure.
Will A Study Save Victims Of Violence Or Gamble With Their Lives?
A major study in Philadelphia will look at whether it is better for people with gunshot or stab wounds to get basic care from paramedics or more advanced care before going to the hospital, as most do now.
Skeptics Question The Value Of Hydration Therapy For The Healthy
Some spa-like clinics will inject an expensive mix of water and vitamins into your bloodstream, ostensibly to ward off illness and boost energy. But can’t drinking fluids offer the same benefit?
Is 20-Something Too Late For A Guy To Get The HPV Vaccine?
A generation of young men missed out on the HPV vaccine. Now, 29-year-old journalist Jake Harper wonders if that’s putting him and other men at risk.
Long-Term, Reversible Contraception Gains Traction With Young Women
Implants and intrauterine devices are endorsed by pediatricians, OB-GYNs and health officials as a way to help girls and women space their pregnancies and reduce the risk of having a premature baby.
West Virginia Grapples With High Drug Costs
Climbing drug prices are taking a toll on West Virginia’s budget, some state legislators say. Expensive drugs fuel an increase in Medicaid spending, which leaves less money for schools and roads.
Emergency Room Use Stayed High In Oregon Medicaid Study
A new study on Oregon’s famed Medicaid experiment eight years ago shows no decline in emergency room care even after two years of coverage.
Organ Donation And The Opioid Epidemic: ‘An Unexpected Life-Saving Legacy’
So far this year, more than one in four donations in New England are from people who died after a drug overdose — a much higher rate than in the U.S. overall, though it’s not clear why.
Kratom Gets Reprieve From Drug Enforcement Administration
The agency has decided to leave kratom off its list of highly restricted drugs for now. The DEA is asking for public comment and help from the Food and Drug Administration in evaluating kratom.
Rehab For Addiction Usually Lasts 28 Days. But Why?
A month’s stay in a rehab facility became the standard of care for alcoholism. But there’s little research to support that length of stay for people addicted to opioids.
A Bygone Era: When Bipartisanship Led To Health Care Transformation
A federal law enacted shortly after the end of World War II provided grants and loans to fund hospital construction that have left a lasting legacy.
Dialysis At Home? Medicare Wants More Patients To Try It
Nationwide, fewer than 10 percent of people who need kidney dialysis do it at home. But close to 40 percent of patients of a Montana doctor do it at home. Medicare is hoping it’s a trend.
Would California’s Proposed Tobacco Tax Hike Reduce Smoking?
When New York increased its cigarette tax, smoking rates declined. California’s proposed increase of $2 a pack may, too, say researchers. The higher the tax, the more likely people are to quit.
Many Doctors Treating Alcohol Problems Overlook Successful Drugs
Two prescription medications have been found to be successful in helping many patients with alcohol cravings. Yet they are rarely used and many patients don’t know they exist.
Deadly Opioid Overwhelms First Responders And Crime Labs in Ohio
Carfentanil, a potent variation on fentanyl, is being blamed for a wave of opioid overdoses. In Cincinnati, the coroner, crime lab and first responders are struggling to keep up.
Election Buzz: Critics Of Legal Pot Say Addiction Becomes ‘A Disease Of The Family’
As more states consider legalizing recreational marijuana, families consider what messages to present to young people about using pot. Should it be avoidance, moderation or acceptance? Differing views from Arizona and Oregon.
Election Buzz: With Pot On The Ballot, States Weigh How To Police Stoned Drivers
Blood tests for marijuana aren’t an accurate measure of impairment for drivers, and there isn’t an easy roadside sobriety test for pot yet. The five states where recreational marijuana is on the ballot may be looking to Colorado for its experiences with the DUI problem soon.
Election Buzz: A Look At Brain Science As 5 States Vote On Legalizing Pot
Recreational marijuana is on the ballot in five states in November. What do we know about pot’s effects on the brain?
Reporter’s Notebook: Pregnant And Caught In Zika Test Limbo
Pregnant women in South Florida can get free Zika tests through the state’s health department. But delays in getting back the results are heightening worries and may affect medical options.
Kratom Defenders Fight Plan To Ban Herb Used By People In Recovery
The DEA plans to put the herbal supplement in the same legal category as heroin and LSD, but the agency has been surprised by the response of people who say it helps them stay off opioids.
