National Public Health News
Courtland Milloy: Got A Light, President Obama? I Hope Your Answer Is 'No.'
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 10, 2010.
May I bum a smoke, Mr. President? Just kidding. I quit a while back. Still, I'd like to know how you'd respond: "Sorry, it's my last one. . . . What do I look like, a cigarette machine? . . . Smoking is bad for you; that's why I'm trying to quit.”Tracing Tainted Food Grueling
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 10, 2010.
Food director Jackie Anderson didn't get word last month until it was too late — after students in the Arlington (Texas) Independent School District already had eaten tacos filled with beef that should have been destroyed.S.F. Supervisors Vote to Get Tougher On Smoking
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 10, 2010.
Smoking soon will be snuffed out at sidewalk cafes, restaurant patios, movie and ATM lines, bingo halls and the common areas of housing complexes.Flu Shots in Children Can Help Community
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 10, 2010.
An unusual study done in 49 remote Hutterite farming colonies in western Canada has provided the surest proof yet that giving flu shots to schoolchildren protects a whole community from the disease.Study May Boost Stop-Smoking Efforts
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 09, 2010.
Nicotine builds up gradually in smokers' brains rather than spiking after each puff, according to a study that might help point to new ways to help people quit smoking. Dr. Jed E. Rose of Duke University reports in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that nicotine buildup in the brain is gradual over several minutes.H1N1 Virus Appears to Have Ended in Anti-Climax
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 07, 2010.
The nearly year-old H1N1 influenza pandemic that disproportionately affected children and mobilized millions to line up for vaccination seems to have finally abated, and officials estimate that it has killed fewer people than die even in a typical flu season.Expansive Food Recall Leaves Consumers Asking: What Is HVP?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 06, 2010.
Before this week most Americans never gave much thought to hydrolyzed vegetable protein. But when the Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that certain lots of the common flavor enhancer were contaminated with salmonella, HVP suddenly popped on the food safety radar.Healthcare Gap Persists for Minority Women
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 06, 2010.
Minority and low-income women in Los Angeles County are more likely to have limited access to healthcare and to struggle with chronic diseases, according to a new report by the county Department of Public Health.Official Blows Whistle on Food-Safety Agency
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 05, 2010.
A Food Safety and Inspection Service veterinarian blew the whistle on his agency Thursday, telling lawmakers that managers repeatedly failed to heed his warnings about unsafe slaughterhouse practices, claims supported by government auditors, who said the agency had failed to consistently enforce humane slaughtering standards.Abortion Coverage Dispute Divides House Democrats
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Mar 05, 2010.
On the other side of the obstacle course that President Barack Obama must clear to get his health care overhaul, a final trapdoor is lurking: the divisive politics of abortion.Obama Takes Health Care Deadline to Democrats
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Mar 05, 2010.
President Obama, beginning a full-court press for his health care overhaul, met Thursday with insurance industry executives and House Democrats as party leaders on Capitol Hill struggled to figure out whether they could meet the president’s timetable for enacting legislation within a few weeks.Flavoring Ingredient Recalled; Risk of Illness Seen as Low
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 04, 2010.
Thousands of processed foods -- from soups to hot dogs to dips -- contain a flavoring ingredient contaminated with salmonella, but government food safety officials say most affected products are safe because cooking, either before or after sale, eliminates the risk.Public Health Funding Is Patchy
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 04, 2010.
When cases of swine flu began to show up in Maine last year, the state health department diverted three-quarters of its staff to an inoculation campaign and put other infectious disease prevention programs on a back burner.President Launches Last Push on Health-Care Overhaul
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Mar 04, 2010.
President Barack Obama opened the final act of a year-long drama over health-care legislation Wednesday, calling on Democrats in Congress to approve the sweeping bill despite political risks and Republican opposition.House Leaders Push Toward Health Vote by Easter
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Mar 04, 2010.
House Democratic leaders are pushing to finish far-reaching health legislation and hold a climactic vote in the next three weeks, aiming to overcome reluctance from the rank-and-file lawmakers while answering President Barack Obama's challenge for swift action.Mass. to Consider a Limited BPA Ban
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 03, 2010.
Governor Deval Patrick has asked state health officials to look into placing a limited ban on bisphenol A, a chemical found in food and drink containers that the state last summer warned parents of young children to avoid.USA Pays the Price for Food-Borne Illness: $152 Billion a Year
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 03, 2010.
Food-borne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion a year, a tab that works out to an average cost of $1,850 each time someone gets sick from food, a report by a former Food and Drug Administration economist says.Obama Offers to Use Some G.O.P. Health Proposals
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Mar 03, 2010.
President Obama offered Tuesday to address some of the concerns expressed by Republicans in the health care debate as the two parties maneuvered for advantage heading into the legislative end game.The Flu Season That Fizzled
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 02, 2010.
This has been a flu season like few others. Normally at this time of year, influenza is rampant in the U.S., prompting hundreds of thousands of people to stay home in the dead of winter with fever, aches and pains.Obama Still Lighting Up, But Anti-Smoking Groups Laud Effort To Quit
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 01, 2010.
Despite President Obama's pledge to his wife and children to quit smoking, he apparently has yet to kick the habit. Doctors reported that finding Sunday as part of Mr. Obama's first checkup as commander in chief. Yet anti-smoking advocates view the president's cigarette struggles not so much as a setback, but rather as an opportunity to try to get more Americans to quit.Cutting Salt Could Prevent Almost 500,000 Heart Attacks
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 01, 2010.
A combined government-industry initiative to reduce U.S. sodium consumption by as little as 10 percent would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars, according to new research.Public Health Departments Shrinking, Survey Finds
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 01, 2010.
Public health workers are another casualty of recent budget cuts in cities and counties across the country.H1N1 Vaccine Was Unevenly Distributed Across L.A. County, Figures Show
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Mar 01, 2010.
Officials have distributed the H1N1 flu vaccine unevenly throughout Los Angeles County, with fewer doses going to medically underserved areas in the county's north and south, according to public health agency figures.Democrats Have A Health-Care Plan, But Do They Have The Votes?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Mar 01, 2010.
For the last several months, Democrats have been arguing amongst themselves over not just the substance of health-care reform but also the process. For better or worse, the latter argument is over.Democrats to Press Health Bill With Simple Majority
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 27, 2010.
Seeing no prospect of a bipartisan agreement on health care, Congressional Democrats said Friday that they would make another effort to pass sweeping health care legislation on their own.OPINION: What H1N1 Taught Us
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 26, 2010.
We learned from the swine flu that not all pandemics are particularly lethal. But we also found out that a safe, fast-track vaccine is possible.President Urges Focus on Common Ground
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 25, 2010.
If there was any question about how deeply divided Republicans and Democrats are about how to reshape the American health care system, consider that they spent the first few hours of President Obama’s much-anticipated health care forum on Thursday arguing over whether they were in fact deeply divided.Do Toxins Cause Autism?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 24, 2010.
Autism was first identified in 1943 in an obscure medical journal. Since then it has become a frighteningly common affliction, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting recently that autism disorders now affect almost 1 percent of children.House Votes To Strip Health Insurance Companies Of Antitrust Exemption
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 24, 2010.
The House voted Wednesday to strip health insurance companies of their exemption from federal antitrust laws, a Democratic measure that could resonate with public concerns about insurers but that has an uncertain future in the Senate.Republicans Plan To Stress Private-Sector Alternatives To The President's Plan
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 24, 2010.
Republicans are preparing to use Thursday's White House health-care summit to sell their own ideas for using the private marketplace to expand coverage and reduce costs, but they remain wary of fumbling away what they believe is an advantage on the issue heading into this year's critical midterm elections.Alternatives to BPA Containers Not Easy for U.S. Foodmakers to Find
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 23, 2010.
Major U.S. foodmakers are quietly investigating how to rid their containers of Bisphenol A, a chemical under scrutiny by federal regulators concerned about links to a range of health problems, including reproductive disorders and cancer.Md. Among States Seeking to Limit BPA
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 23, 2010.
As scientific evidence mounts against bisphenol-A, a chemical used in plastic baby bottles, soup cans and other containers, many states - including Maryland - are starting to take action to limit the chemical ahead of any federal regulation.Swine Flu Wanes, But Experts Say Pandemic Strain Could Reemerge
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 23, 2010.
Even as officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are announcing that the epidemic of the H1N1 flu is no longer widespread in any state, no disease expert is willing to say there isn't a third -- or fourth -- wave of swine flu in the country's future.Senate Dems Warm To Reconciliation
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 23, 2010.
An idea that seemed toxic only weeks ago — using a parliamentary tactic to ram health reform through the Senate — is gaining acceptance among moderate Democrats who have resisted the strategy but now say GOP opposition may force their hands.Obama's Health Bill Plan Largely Follows Senate Version
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 23, 2010.
President Obama on Monday issued his own blueprint for a health care overhaul, challenged Republicans to come forward with their ideas and laid the groundwork for an aggressive parliamentary maneuver to pass the legislation using only Democratic votes if this week brings no progress toward a bipartisan solution.When it Comes to Salt, No Rights or Wrongs. Yet.
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 22, 2010.
Suppose, as some experts advise, that the new national dietary guidelines due this spring will lower the recommended level of salt. Suppose further that public health officials in New York and Washington succeed in forcing food companies to use less salt. What would be the effect?Where Are Illinois' Healthiest People?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 21, 2010.
It's no surprise that three affluent, suburban Chicago counties — Kendall, DuPage and McHenry — rank as some of the state's healthiest, according to a new study.State Smoking Ban Has Cost $2 Million
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 21, 2010.
Ohio taxpayers have paid more than $2 million to rid bars, restaurants and workplaces of tobacco smoke since the statewide smoking ban took effect in 2007, a sum that opponents say could be better used elsewhere.Dental Coverage Cuts Leave California's Poor in Pain
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 21, 2010.
In California, it's been seven months since some 3 million poor and disabled adults lost their dental coverage to budget cuts.US States Pushing Ahead On Health Reform
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 21, 2010.
Frustrated by stalled federal efforts to overhaul the U.S. health care system, states are making their own changes, hoping savings will cover their costs.EDITORIAL: If Pepper's The Culprit, Who's To Blame?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 20, 2010.
With the 230th illness from salmonella reported last week, nine of them in Oregon and 17 in Washington state, health investigators point to imported black pepper that found its way onto salami manufactured in Rhode Island and shipped just about everywhere.Coded to Obey Law, Lights Become Marlboro Gold
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 19, 2010.
When it comes to new rules for marketing so-called light cigarettes, tobacco companies plan to honor the letter of the law -- but to shade the truth, critics say. Come June, under the new federal tobacco law, cigarette companies will no longer be allowed to use words like ''light'' or ''mild'' on packages to imply that some cigarettes are safer than others.Obama to Offer Health Bill to Ease Impasse as Bipartisan Meeting Approaches
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 19, 2010.
President Obama will put forward comprehensive health care legislation intended to bridge differences between Senate and House Democrats ahead of a summit meeting with Republicans next week, senior administration officials and Congressional aides said Thursday.Medicaid Sign-Ups Surge Nationwide, Analysis Finds
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 19, 2010.
The recession has fueled the greatest influx of Americans onto Medicaid since the earliest days of the public insurance program for the poor, according to new findings that show caseloads have surged in every state.WHO: Add Swine Flu to Regular Flu Vaccine
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 18, 2010.
The World Health Organization is recommending that swine flu be added to regular flu vaccines next season. The swine flu pandemic virus, or H1N1, emerged too late last year to be added to the regular flu vaccine, and a separate vaccine was needed.Fighting Swine Flu Fatigue with Clever Marketing
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 18, 2010.
Marco Torres stood on a busy road and waved an oversized yellow arrow with an unconventional message for a street marketing campaign: ''FREE TODAY: H1N1 Flu Shots for All.''Has The Swine Flu Pandemic Peaked?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 18, 2010.
The World Health Organization meets next Tuesday to decide if the H1N1 flu pandemic has officially peaked. Cases of pandemic flu have been decreasing. However, a third wave of the flu had been predicted. Thursday the WHO decided to include the pandemic virus in next fall's seasonal flu vaccine.H1N1 Flu Has Hit Kids With Neuromuscular Disorders Especially Hard
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 18, 2010.
Despite his cerebral palsy, Derek Collette never lagged very far behind. He rode the school bus with other special-needs children, hustled to class on crutches and got decent grades for a child with a learning disability, if not on par with those of an average 13-year-old.Rate Hikes on Health Insurance Prompt More Criticism From Obama Administration
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 18, 2010.
The Obama administration plans to step up its criticism Thursday of health insurers' recent efforts to raise their rates – an attempt to harness public aggravation with the industry and rebuild momentum for broad changes to the nation's health-care system.Metro Area Counties, Cities Receive High Health Ranking Despite Poor Air Quality
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 17, 2010.
Fairfax, Arlington and Loudoun are the healthiest counties in Virginia, and Howard, Montgomery and Frederick top the list in Maryland, according to a set of reports to be released Wednesday. The reports rank U.S. counties and cities based on how long people live and how healthy they are.L.A. County Ranks 26th of 56 in New Health Study; Orange County in Top 10
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 17, 2010.
New county health rankings for every state in the country were released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute.Health Rankings Rate Central Florida Counties
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 17, 2010.
If you want to live longer, Seminole County is the place to be. If you want to avoid bad air quality and unhealthy food, stay away from Orange County. A first-of-its-kind report released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute ranks the health of Florida's 67 counties.Health Report Card: How Does Your County Stack Up?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 17, 2010.
Pat Stewart was overjoyed to find out the other day that her 33 years of working for public health have finally paid off. Her neighbors in the tiny, windswept farming communities of Jackson County are the healthiest people in Minnesota, according to an exhaustive county-by-county health ranking published Wednesday by researchers at the University of Wisconsin.Report Compares Health County-By-County
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 17, 2010.
For the first time, a new report reveals how counties across America stack up when it comes to health. Today, whether you live in Malibu or Atlanta, you can learn if your community is holding its own in health. "County Health Rankings: Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health," a health report card for almost every one of the nation's more than 3,000 counties, is being released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute.GOP Sees Possible Upside in Health Care Summit
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 17, 2010.
Congressional Republicans see a chance for political gain in President Barack Obama's televised health care summit next week, even though the president will be running the show.Public Health Departments to Test Accreditation Program
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 16, 2010.
A voluntary accreditation program for public health departments across the country is being tested by 30 departments before its national launch in 2011.iPhone Applications Are a Helping Hand in Fighting Pandemics
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 16, 2010.
A tap on the HealthMap iPhone application brings up a cluster of red pins on a map, representing nearby cases of swine flu. Another tap brings up a form for ordinary Americans to add to the collection by reporting bouts they have or know about.Excise Tax Loses Support Amid White House Push
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 16, 2010.
An agreement to tax high-cost, employer-sponsored health insurance plans, announced with fanfare by the White House and labor unions last month, is losing support from labor leaders, who say the proposal is too high a price to pay for the limited health care package they expect to emerge from Congress.Dems Concede on Malpractice Insurers
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 16, 2010.
Nothing comes easy in the health care debate.More Bad News About Racial Disparities in Healthcare
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 15, 2010.
Many studies have documented the fact that patients of color are less likely to receive the same quality of medical care as whites, and that those differences often translate to worse health outcomes. The pattern holds up even after taking into account demographic factors such as income, education and health insurance status.Republicans Spurn Once-Favored Health Mandate
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 15, 2010.
For Republicans, the idea of requiring every American to have health insurance is one of the most abhorrent provisions of the Democrats' health overhaul bills.U.S. Meat Safety: How Well Done?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 14, 2010.
Recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses linked to contaminated meat -- followed by massive recalls and pledges of cleaner processing -- have proved eye-opening for many consumers.Number of Swine Flu Cases in the U.S. Reaches 57 Million
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 13, 2010.
An estimated 57 million Americans have contracted pandemic H1N1 influenza since the outbreak began last April, about 257,000 have been hospitalized with complications from it, and nearly 12,000 have died, according to estimates released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.White House Formally Invites Republicans to Health-Care Summit
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 13, 2010.
The White House formally invited Republicans on Friday to attend a health-care summit Feb. 25, calling it "the next step" in the process of reforming the country's broken health insurance system and pledging to post the text of a reform proposal online before the gathering.Call for Clean Slate on Health Reform Divides U.S.
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 12, 2010.
Americans are deeply divided over demands by Republicans that bills backed by President Barack Obama to reform the $2.5 trillion health system be scrapped and the whole process be started again from scratch.FDA Budget Draws Cries of 'Not Enough'
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 11, 2010.
A coalition of interests will push for more money, saying chronic underfunding has led to failures at the agency and that society, not just companies, are affected.Health Reform in Limbo, Top Drug Lobbyist Quits
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 11, 2010.
Billy Tauzin, one of the highest paid lobbyists in Washington, is resigning as president of the pharmaceutical industry’s trade group amid internal disputes over its pact with the White House to trade political support for favorable terms in the proposed health care overhaul.Can Judd Gregg Help White House Save Health Bill?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 11, 2010.
Is Judd Gregg a tease or a real potential partner for President Barack Obama in trying to salvage some health care reform in this Congress?H1N1 Squelches Seasonal Flu in Minn.
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 10, 2010.
In almost all ways it was a pretty typical January. There were sales, the usual thaw and the Vikings lost. But there was something missing -- the flu. On Wednesday the Minnesota Department of Health reported that for the fourth week in a row there were no deaths from H1N1, and no hospitalizations for the second straight week.H1N1 Vaccination Rates Don't Show Full Picture
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 10, 2010.
Despite a requirement that vaccine providers report data within 24 hours, many are lagging significantly behind, meaning the state has an inaccurate, low count of who has been vaccinated for H1N1.Residue From Cigarette Smoke May Pose Health Hazard, Study Says
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 10, 2010.
The scent of cigarette smoke is stubborn, clinging to clothes, walls and hair. Now scientists are beginning to explore the health threats of "third-hand smoke," or the residue left behind after the smoke clears.Obama's Aim on Health Care: Mesh 'Best Ideas'
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 10, 2010.
President Obama said Tuesday that he will consider any Republican health care ideas, as long as the ideas address the goals contained in the Democratic plans already passed by the House and Senate.Obama Meets With Republicans to Bridge Partisan Divide
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 10, 2010.
President Obama brought Republicans to the negotiating table on Tuesday, hoping to stem a steady deterioration in relations between the two parties that has brought business in Washington to a standstill, left the Democratic agenda in tatters and angered voters who are eager to have lawmakers address their concerns.Health Reform Already Under Way: Walgreen CEO
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 10, 2010.
Even if nothing comes of health reform efforts in Washington, healthcare in America is changing as consumers and companies take new steps to cut their health costs, the chief executive of Walgreen Co said on Tuesday.Snuff Tax Changes Rejected
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 09, 2010.
A bill that would have changed how tobacco companies are taxed on moist snuff died in committee Tuesday after a prolonged debate.Find Source of Contaminated Meat, Safety Experts Urge
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 09, 2010.
Thousands of times each year, government inspectors test the meat and trimmings that become ground beef for E. coli, a potentially deadly pathogen that has led to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses and massive product recalls.States Race to Pre-empt Health Reform
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 09, 2010.
State lawmakers in at least three dozen states are pushing ahead with a series of measures aimed at pre-empting whatever might come out of Washington.Bills Stalled, Hospitals Fear Rising Unpaid Care
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 09, 2010.
For the nation’s hospitals, the cost of doing nothing in Washington translates into tens of billions of dollars each year in medical bills that go unpaid by patients with little or no insurance.On Health Bill, G.O.P.'s Road Is a New Map
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 09, 2010.
When Republicans take President Obama up on his invitation to hash out their differences over health care this month, they will carry with them a fairly well-developed set of ideas intended to make health insurance more widely available and affordable, by emphasizing tax incentives and state innovations, with no new federal mandates and only a modest expansion of the federal safety net.Obama Asks GOP to Join Health Talks
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 08, 2010.
President Barack Obama, seeking to give new momentum to his languishing health-care legislation, said he would sit down with Republican and Democratic lawmakers to exchange ideas on an issue that has deeply divided the parties.Analysts: Stripping Health insurers' Antitrust Protection Won't Affect Consumers Much
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 07, 2010.
The House of Representatives plans this week to vote on - and probably approve - a measure to strip health insurers' antitrust protections, which will be Congress' first step this year to try to overhaul the nation's health care system.
Swine Flu Still Spreading, Though at a Reduced Rate
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 06, 2010.
The odds of a third wave of pandemic H1N1 influenza hitting this spring seem to be declining, but authorities are concerned that the virus is still spreading, though at a reduced rate from its peak, and is not disappearing as would be expected in a normal influenza outbreak, federal officials said Friday.As Swine Flu Fades, Experts Ponder Next Season
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 05, 2010.
After nearly a year of headlines, worry and confusion, the H1N1 swine flu virus is now out of the news. Is it out of circulation as well? The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds no states reporting widespread influenza activity and only five reporting regional activity.OPINION: Cigarette Tax Hike Would Help Us
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 05, 2010.
The American Lung Association in Georgia plays an active role in working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. As the organization's director of advocacy, I must again announce the unacceptable grades Georgia received on our national association's signature report, the State of Tobacco Control.USDA Boosts School Lunch Safety; Initiatives Include Greater Testing and Communication
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 05, 2010.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced sweeping steps Thursday to "assure the safety and quality of food" purchased for the National School Lunch Program. The measures include tightening requirements on companies that supply ground beef to schools, testing the beef more often and more thoroughly, and improving communications within the USDA to "identify potential food safety issues" before children get sick.EDITORIAL: Vital Signs; FDAs Concern Over Potentially Harmful Plastic Ingredient Signals a Welcome Change
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 04, 2010.
For many years, the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) has been used in the making of hard plastic food containers, such as baby bottles and cups, as well as the lining of metal food and drink cans. Research has shown that BPA leaches, even at cold temperatures, into those foods and drinks, and is so commonly used that more than 90 percent of Americans have traces of it in their urine.Public Health Tab to Hit Milestone
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 04, 2010.
For the first time, government programs next year will account for more than half of all U.S. health-care spending, federal actuaries predict, as the weak economy sends more people into Medicaid and slows growth of private insurance.U.S. Adults Forgo Routine Immunization: Report
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 04, 2010.
Tens of thousands of American adults die each year from pneumonia, influenza and other infectious diseases that could be prevented by routine vaccinations, according to a report released Thursday.EDITORIAL: Fighting the Opiate Crisis in Mass.
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 04, 2010.
A crisis in opiate abuse is affecting individuals and families across Massachusetts, with death rates exceeding those from traffic accidents and even the number of Massachusetts men and women who have lost their lives in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.Report: Feds to Pay More than Half of Health Costs
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 04, 2010.
For all the hue and cry over a government takeover of health care, it's happening anyway.More H1N1 Vaccines Recalled
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 03, 2010.
More than 11,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine distributed in Connecticut have been recalled because of decreased potency, the third such recall in two months. Like the two previous recalls, the latest one is not safety related, according to the state Department of Public Health.Intestinal Bacteria Sickens 500,000 Americans Yearly
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 03, 2010.
Seniors 65 and older who have been in the hospital or are on antibiotics are at risk to contract an intestinal bacteria, reports experts from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.States Struggling With EPA Rules
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 03, 2010.
States are slashing funds for environmental programs, threatening their ability to meet federal standards for clean air and water.Health Official Can't Guarantee Openness in Talks
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 03, 2010.
Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, told Congress on Wednesday that she could not guarantee greater openness in negotiations over legislation to remake the nation's health care system.Nancy Pelosi Heads for a Two-Track Plan for Health Care Reform
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 03, 2010.
With the broader health care bill still perilously close to collapse, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to take a shot at the health insurance industry next week by scheduling a vote on a smaller bill to revoke its half-century-old exemption from antitrust laws.Food Safety, Drug Access Top FDA Concerns
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 02, 2010.
Food safety and quicker access to low-cost medicines top the priorities in U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed budget for the Food and Drug Administration.As Swine Flu Recedes, Health Officials Tally the Lessons It Taught
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 02, 2010.
More than a month has passed since swine flu was considered widespread anywhere in Florida. The H1N1 vaccine is widely available, but demand has fallen off along with the threat from the virus. Although they warn that H1N1 is still circulating and flu season is far from over, officials are starting to step back and reflect on the most extensive public health campaign in years.S.F. Considers Tightening Smoking Restrictions
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 02, 2010.
A proposal to greatly expand San Francisco's smoking ban won high praise Monday from health professionals concerned about the dangers of secondhand smoke, but got a cool response from local bar and nightclub owners who fear the restrictions would drive away customers.$101 Million More for CDC for Programs; Plan Adds Training for Public Health Workers, Grants for Wellness
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 02, 2010.
President Barack Obama's proposed budget includes a $101 million boost in funding for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that would help pay for new programs aimed at addressing obesity and diseases in big cities, a new training program for public health professionals and other agency expansions.States Restart Health-Care Push
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 02, 2010.
With the fate of a national health care overhaul unclear, state legislators are pushing their own bills aimed at expanding coverage, though tight budgets are likely to hinder many of these efforts.Virginia Senate Bills Say No to Requiring Health Insurance
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 02, 2010.
Virginia's Democratic-controlled state Senate passed measures Monday that would make it illegal to require individuals to purchase health insurance, a direct challenge to the party's efforts in Washington to reform health care.Heart Disease "Will Kill 400,000 Americans in 2010"
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Feb 01, 2010.
Decades of progress in the United States on cutting cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking are being stalled by rising obesity rates, and heart disease will kill around 400,000 Americans this year, experts said on Monday.White House Budget Offers Backup Plans for Health Overhaul
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 01, 2010.
President Barack Obama’s federal budget proposal assumes that the embattled health bill will pass – but contains some back-up plans if it doesn’t.Analysis: Dems' Missteps Led to Health Breakdown
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Feb 01, 2010.
Democrats say they never saw it coming, but the breakdown of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul was abetted by their own mistakes.Blakely Peanut Illness: Little Has Changed Since Scare; A Year After Outbreak, Holes Still Exist in Inspection Safety Net
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 31, 2010.
A year after peanut butter crackers nearly killed him, Claude Ivester still has not fully recovered, and the food safety net remains largely unchanged. The 74-year-old feels weaker than he did before he contracted salmonella food poisoning. He forgets more. He has quit his job at a recycling plant. He can't look at a jar of peanut butter without getting angry.Where There's No Smoke, Altria Hopes There's Fire
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 31, 2010.
For years, Altria, home to Philip Morris and its popular Marlboro cigarette brand, was a corporate pariah blamed for the deaths of millions of people and sued for hundreds of billions of dollars by attorneys general in every state. After eventually acknowledging, like others in its industry, that cigarette smoking was, indeed, addictive and caused disease, Altria went a step further.Is Atlanta Prepared for a Disaster?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 30, 2010.
Bombs will go off in Atlanta next week --- on paper. But if the scenario were real, what would be the city's response? Coordinated or chaotic? About 200 leaders in government, business and the nonprofit community will gather Wednesday at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss ways to strengthen Atlanta's response to a major crisis, whether it's a terrorist attack or a tornado.Rise Seen in Deaths From Pneumonia and Flu
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 29, 2010.
Deaths from pneumonia and influenza across the country rose sharply in the weekly flu report released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but a spokesman for the agency called it merely ''a blip we're checking out.'' It was premature to conclude that any third wave of swine flu was emerging, said the spokesman, Thomas Skinner.State Siphons Tobacco-Settlement Funds; Shrinking Slice of Fund Goes to Prevention, Cessation
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 29, 2010.
If you smoke and itch to quit, don't look to the state for help. Despite an annual infusion of about $300 million from the landmark tobacco settlement, Illinois continues to spend less than most others on programs designed to prevent people from lighting up, according to a national ranking.Senate Dem: Health Care Bill 'On Life Support'
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 29, 2010.
President Barack Obama's health care appeal failed to break the congressional gridlock Thursday, dimming hopes for millions of uninsured Americans. Democrats stared down a political nightmare — getting clobbered for voting last year for ambitious, politically risky bills, yet having nothing to show for it in November.After Obama Speech, Democrats Confused About Path Ahead
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 29, 2010.
A day after President Obama called on them to renew efforts to pass his ambitious agenda, congressional Democrats remained in disarray Thursday about how to move forward, with at least some pointing at the White House as the cause of the legislative standstill gripping Capitol Hill.Obama's Pick for Food Safety Chief Surprises Consumer Advocates
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 28, 2010.
Soon after taking office, President Obama highlighted food safety as a domestic priority. A string of national outbreaks of food illnesses were a "troubling trend," the president said. He called the problems "critical" and said they presented a "risk to public health."Health Care Gives Way
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 28, 2010.
President Obama drew sustained laughter from Congress, especially Democrats, on Wednesday when he declared in his State of the Union speech that “by now it should be fairly obvious that I didn’t take on health care because it was good politics.”Boost in Md. Cigarette Taxes a Boon for Smugglers
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 27, 2010.
Gov. Martin O'Malley promotes entrepreneurship. Kyun Hong seems to have answered the call. According to comptroller's agents, he packed his Severna Park house with cigarettes and snuff bought across state lines and resold them to Baltimore retailers without paying Maryland's tobacco tax.U.S. Is Unprepared for Major Bioterrorism Attack, Commission Finds
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 27, 2010.
More than eight years after the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks, the United States is still unprepared to respond to a major biological terror attack, a congressionally appointed commission said yesterday. Overall, the panel's report gave the federal government mixed grades for protecting Americans from the threat of weapons of mass destruction.Backroom Health Care Deals Fuel Voter Anger
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 27, 2010.
Special legislative favors, especially one designed to secure a Nebraska senator's vote for the embattled health care package, ignited so much public outrage that President Barack Obama is calling them a mistake and House leaders say the bill can't be resurrected unless such sweetheart deals are scrapped.Dental Foundation Takes Aim at Children's Poor Oral Health; Grant Money Will Be Used in Md.'s Lower-Income Areas
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
The DentaQuest Foundation said Monday that it will fund efforts to improve the oral health of the region's children, particularly those in lower-income areas. The foundation awarded a $331,343 grant to the University of Maryland to promote statewide oral health literacy and put up another $202,886 to support development of a Maryland Dental Action Coalition.EDITORIAL: What's in a Smoke?; Finally, the FDA Goes After the Content of Cigarettes
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
The more the government knows about what's in cigarettes, besides tobacco, the better it can assess their potential harm. In a progressive move to gain more information about tobacco product formulas, the Food and Drug Administration is requiring tobacco companies to tell the agency exactly what goes into their products by June.EPA Boss: Rule Cuts Health Risks; One-Hour Standard Targets Air Pollutant
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
A new federal standard regulating short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide will improve air quality, particularly in communities disproportionately impacted by environmental problems, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said Monday at a conference on environmental justice being held in New Orleans.Health Care Bills Do Promote Healthy Living
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
Everyone alienated by the compromises to extract health reform legislation out of Congress, take heart. There's a sleeper in both the House and Senate bills that could do more to promote health in the long run than any of the insurance we may - or may not - get.New York City Residents Can Expect to Live Longer
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
The life expectancy of New York City residents has continued to increase, hitting a record average of 79.4 years for a person born in 2007, city officials said yesterday. (registration required)Obama Nominates Hagen as Food Safety Undersecretary
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
The White House announced Monday a nominee for undersecretary for Food Safety at the Department of Agriculture. The position has been vacant for almost a year.Pr. George's Leader Wants to Curb County's Fast-Food Eateries
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
Travel along a two-block stretch of Central Avenue in Prince George's County, and you'll find a staggering 11 fast-food restaurants. For community activist Arthur Turner and state Sen. David C. Harrington (D-Prince George's), the strip is evidence of the proliferation of burger joints and Chinese takeouts in the county, especially in poorer, inner Capital Beltway communities.Democrats Woo Snowe, Collins in Hope of Saving Health Reform Legislation
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
Centrist Democratic senators have circumvented party leadership to approach Maine GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins about reviving healthcare talks.Poll Shows Growing Fears on Health Care Overhaul
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
Fears about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul increased significantly in December, according to a new poll released as the legislation's future hangs in doubt.GOP Struggles for Consensus on Health Care
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 26, 2010.
Now that Democrats have lost their 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, Republicans have some ideas for how their stalled health overhaul can get started again: Find some bipartisanship.A Mixed Report on American Health
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 25, 2010.
There is some good news in the numbers released last month by the National Center for Health Statistics on the health of Americans in the first half of 2009. But there is ample bad news, too, and a third of us are not feeling very well: the percentage of people who reported having excellent or very good health declined to 66.6 percent in the 2009 period, from 69.1 percent in 1998.Menthol May Be Nicotine's Partner in Addiction
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 25, 2010.
Nicotine is definitely addictive, but scientists have been debating for several decades the effect of menthol in hooking people on tobacco. Some researchers suspect that menthol allows smokers to take deeper drags or puffs on cigarettes, drawing in greater amounts of nicotine and its byproducts.After Smoking and Fats, Focus Turns to Salt
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 25, 2010.
In decades past, when companies wanted to test-market a product meant to enhance health and well-being, they often tried it first in California -- where people were reputed to be the most health-conscious in the country. But now companies might be wise to consider field-testing their wares in New York City.With Health Reform in Limbo, Groups Issue Call to Arms
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 25, 2010.
Health-care reform hangs in the balance after last week’s Massachusetts special election changed the balance of power in Washington. Now many interest groups that spent much of the last year negotiating with lawmakers are in wait-and-see mode ahead of President Obama’s State of the Union address on Wednesday.Protecting Children From Harmful School Bus Diesel Emissions
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 25, 2010.
Millions of school children across the nation ride on buses every day that use diesel fuel, exposing them to dangerous pollutants and serious health hazards.Narrower Targets Set for Health Overhaul
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 24, 2010.
The White House, with its health-care initiative in doubt, on Sunday zeroed in on several elements it hoped would survive, including measures to extend the life of Medicare, lower prescription drug costs for seniors and cap consumers' out-of-pocket medical expenses.EDITORIAL: Help in D.C.'S AIDS Crisis; With the NIH, a Promising Partnership to Combat an Epidemic
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 22, 2010.
THE DISTRICT is getting substantial help for the first time from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in its urgent battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A two-year, $26.4 million partnership aims to improve the city's ability to get people tested and into treatment. It also will give the District the data needed to track the epidemic's advance.Half-Teaspoon Less Salt Daily Could Save Lives; Analysis Includes $24 Billion Saved
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 22, 2010.
Consuming just half a teaspoon less salt each day may save as many as 92,000 U.S. deaths and as much as $24 billion in medical costs a year, a study found.Meat Safety: How Well Done?
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 22, 2010.
Recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses linked to contaminated meat -- followed by huge recalls and pledges of cleaner processing -- have proved eye-opening for many consumers.Pelosi: House Won't Pass Senate Bill to Save Health-Care Reform
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 22, 2010.
As Democrats continued to grapple with the consequences of their loss in Massachusetts, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday eliminated the most obvious avenue for completing health-care reform, saying the House will not embrace the version of the legislation already approved by the Senate.A New Search for Consensus on Health Care Bill
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 22, 2010.
Even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi affirmed her commitment to pass far-reaching health care legislation this year, members of Congress and health policy experts began Thursday to deal with the reality that a smaller bill would have a better chance.EDITORIAL: Don't Kill Off Anti-Smoking Agency
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 21, 2010.
As Gov. Mitch Daniels exhorts government to do more with less, the folks at Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation can justifiably hold themselves up as a model.Iowa Lawmaker Wants More Information in Epidemics
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 21, 2010.
An Iowa lawmaker wants public health officials to release more details about people who die in epidemics.Obama Weighs Paring Goals for Health Bill
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 21, 2010.
President Obama signaled on Wednesday that he might be willing to scale back his proposed health care overhaul to a version that could attract bipartisan support, as the White House and Congressional Democrats grappled with a political landscape transformed by the Republican victory in the Massachusetts Senate race.FDA Looks to Shift Food-Safety Focus Upstream
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 20, 2010.
It's been a year since the country was hit with a peanut-related salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 700 in Oregon and across the country and killed nine people.Experts: Sitting Too Much Could Be Deadly
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 20, 2010.
Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods even if you also exercise regularly could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV just the overall number of hours it occurs.EDITORIAL: Heightened Concern Over BPA
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 20, 2010.
The Food and Drug Administration has raised its level of concern over the safety of bisphenol-A, or BPA, an industrial chemical found in baby bottles and the linings of canned goods and other consumer products.The Fallout: Democrats Rethinking Health Care Bill
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 20, 2010.
Republican Scott Brown’s upset win in Massachusetts Tuesday threatened to derail any hopes of passing a health reform bill this year, as the White House and Democratic leaders faced growing resistance from rank-and-file members to pressing ahead with a bill following the Bay State backlash.
White House Admits Poor Job of Selling the Health Bill
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 20, 2010.
President Obama may have come up short in making his case to the American people for his sweeping health-care overhaul, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs acknowledged yesterday.Pressure's on for Obama to Fill 'Food Czar' Job at USDA
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 19, 2010.
Calls from consumer advocates and politicians are growing louder for the Obama administration to name an undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, a position unfilled for more than a year.Smokers Need Not Apply for a Job
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 18, 2010.
As if higher tobacco taxes, steeper health insurance premiums and smoke-free workplaces weren’t enough, tobacco users have one more financial incentive to kick the habit — missed job opportunities.What's in a Cigarette? FDA Will Soon Find Out
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 18, 2010.
The Food and Drug Administration is working to lift the smokescreen clouding the ingredients used in cigarettes and other tobacco products.Obesity Is a Growing National, State Problem
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 17, 2010.
As the national health care reform debate continues, the 20th anniversary edition of America's Health Rankings has reported that obesity has increased nearly 130 percent in the past 20 years.Smoking, Obesity Top State Health Issues
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 17, 2010.
Smoking and obesity are the top health challenges facing Kansans. Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of health for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said they are costing lives and money.EDITORIAL: A Ban With Health Benefits; Congress Moves to Stop Use of the Mail To Distribute Native American Cigarettes
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 17, 2010.
Congress may soon do for New York what the state's own Legislature has been unwilling to accomplish: putting an effective end to the problem -- some say the advantage -- of tax-free cigarette sales by the Seneca Nation of Indians.One in Five Americans Got Swine Flu Vaccine, CDC Reports
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 16, 2010.
About one in five Americans has been vaccinated against swine flu, according to the government's first detailed estimates of vaccination rates against the pandemic.FDA Issues BPA Guidelines
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 16, 2010.
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that the safety of a controversial chemical found in some baby bottles, children's drinking cups and other food containers merited further study but did not warrant immediate restrictions on its use.Mass. Minorities Have Higher Rates of Swine Flu
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 16, 2010.
Racial and ethnic minorities in Massachusetts have been hospitalized and died of swine flu at an elevated rate, underscoring the need for people to continue be vaccinated since there is now ample supply of vaccine, state officials said yesterday.Health Care Reform: Fulfilling the Promise of Public Health
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 15, 2010.
Every day, the headlines confirm what many of us have known for a long time: The nation’s health care system is in desperate need of repair.Numerous Kids Overdue for Second H1N1 Booster
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 15, 2010.
Hundreds of thousands of children are overdue for a second dose of H1N1 vaccine that's needed to fully protect them from swine flu, a USA TODAY review of data from 10 states shows.H1N1 Death Rates Higher for Some Ethnic and Racial Groups in California
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 15, 2010.
California Latinos have been nearly twice as likely as whites to die of H1N1 flu since the pandemic began last spring, according to statewide figures released Thursday by the California Department of Public Health.Obama, Labor Reach A Deal on Health Care
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 15, 2010.
Gripped by a building sense that its window of opportunity could be closing, the White House on Thursday broke the last major logjam blocking enactment of far-reaching health-care legislation.Health Talks in Overdrive With Obama Pushing
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 15, 2010.
President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats stand within days if not hours of striking final deals on historic health care legislation after key labor unions won concessions and pledged their support.Judge Orders F.D.A. to Stop Blocking Imports of E-Cigarettes From China
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 14, 2010.
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Food and Drug Administration to stop blocking the importation of electronic cigarettes from China and indicated that the devices should be regulated as tobacco products rather than drug or medical devices.Wis. Lawmakers Reject Proposal to Use Stimulus Money to Target Candy-Flavored Tobacco
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 14, 2010.
Wisconsin lawmakers on Thursday rejected a health department proposal to use $3 million in stimulus funding to lobby for a statewide ban on candy- and fruit-flavored tobacco products.U.S. Obesity Rates Reaching a Resting Point, Studies Show
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 14, 2010.
Americans may not be collectively doomed to die in their recliners after all, one hand in the chips bag, the other stretching for the remote. Obesity levels seem to be leveling off or slowing across most of the population, according to two new comprehensive studies of the nation's heft.New Official Named With Portfolio to Unite Agencies and Improve Food Safety
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 13, 2010.
The Obama administration, moving to address the nation's fractured food safety system, on Wednesday appointed Michael R. Taylor, a veteran food expert, as deputy commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration. The newly created position is the first to oversee all the agency's many food and nutrition programs.Md. Advocates Back Increase in Liquor Tax
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 13, 2010.
Public health advocates are rallying behind a 10 cents-per-drink increase in Maryland's alcohol tax to protect programs that could fall victim to the next round of state cuts needed to avoid a projected $2 billion budget shortfall.Richmond Gets Kudos on Anti-Smoking Effort
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 13, 2010.
Richmond, not usually associated with stellar air quality, won praise Tuesday for protecting its residents' lungs by enacting some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the country.Proposals Clash on States' Role in Health Plans
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Coverage. Published on Jan 13, 2010.
Should someone in Idaho or Nevada have significantly different health care coverage from someone in Massachusetts?Health Reform Revisionism
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 12, 2010.
Could the proposed health-care bill have prevented some of America's biggest public health crises?Anti-Smoking Group Chastises Ohio
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 12, 2010.
Even as they applauded the federal government's effort to boost tobacco regulation, leaders of the American Lung Association condemned many states, including Ohio, for doing little to prevent smoking and to help smokers quit.EDITORIAL: Tobacco Regulations -- Too Much of a Good Thing
By webmail@rwjf.org from RWJF News Digest - Public Health. Published on Jan 12, 2010.
The federal government long maintained a love-hate relationship with tobacco, protecting the noxious weed's legal status -- and subsidizing its cultivation -- even as it required health warnings on packages.