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Sports gambling, betting are of public health concern | Calif. county is first to term loneliness a PHE | Mobile services address
physical, mental health needs
Created for [email protected] | Web Version
February 9, 2024
SmartBrief on Public Health & Epidemiology
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Sports gambling, betting are of public health concern
Some experts feel online gambling and sports betting should be viewed as a public health concern, especially among young people,
as states such as Pennsylvania note a rise in requests for addiction counseling related to it. Mark Gottlieb of the Public Health
Advocacy Institute commented that limiting the types of bets placed during games could provide a solution, and others have
suggested barring young people from gambling with credit cards.
Full Story: KDKA-TV (Pittsburgh) (2/6)
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From the Field
Calif. county is first to term loneliness a PHE
Calif. county is first to term loneliness a PHE
(Pixabay)
San Mateo County, Calif., is the first county in the nation to declare loneliness a public health emergency, following a
resolution by the county board of supervisors. The goals are to bring awareness to the situation, foster connection for those
experiencing isolation, and show how loneliness factors into higher risks for heart disease, dementia and mental health
conditions.
Full Story: Becker's Hospital Review (2/2)
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Mobile services address physical, mental health needs
Buncombe County Public Health and Appalachian Mountain Health in North Carolina operate mobile care units that aim to remove
barriers and improve outcomes, particularly for underserved people. The Buncombe unit is staffed by public health nurses and an
emergency management specialist, and residents can get primary care, mental health help and community resource assistance from the
Appalachian unit.
Full Story: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, N.C.) (2/8)
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Insider Perspectives
Executive talks tech in health care, public health
Inaccessibility and inconvenience are major barriers to patient engagement that can be partially overcome with easy-to-use,
hyper-personalized digital platforms to help patients gain access to information, schedule appointments, and communicate with
their health care providers, says Yosi Health CEO Hari Prasad. Health care professionals should also explore recent advancements
such as remote patient monitoring, AI-driven decision support systems and interoperable EHRs, and stay up to date on cybersecurity
measures, Prasad says.
Full Story: SmartBrief/Health Care (1/29)
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Former surgeons general urge menthol cigarette ban
Former surgeons general urge menthol cigarette ban
(Pixabay)
Dr. Regina Benjamin and Dr. Jerome Adams, former US surgeons general, write that the FDA should finalize rules to ban the sale of
menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars in light of their health risks. The physicians noted that menthol cigarettes are of
particular concern due to their high use in communities of color. Menthol is the only characterizing flavor that can still be
added to cigarettes legally, but it is dangerous because it boosts nicotine addiction and "masks the harshness of tobacco smoke,"
they write.
Full Story: STAT (2/9)
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Leadership
Why your office jargon is making your team insecure
Jargon such as "circling back" or "running it up the flagpole" can alienate some team members, and it's often used as a form of
"human peacocking" to telegraph status or to paper over topics that may be uncomfortable to talk openly about, say experts. When
insecurity permeates the workplace, "you're going to get funny language to try to cover it up, to make it seem as though it's not
as bad as you think. But it is," says Cary Cooper, a professor at UK-based Alliance Manchester Business School.
Full Story: BBC (2/5)
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Health Care News
Experts warn about measles anti-vaccine messaging
Medical experts caution about messaging from anti-vaccine activists and influencers who urge people to avoid measles vaccination
and dismiss the dangers of the highly contagious infection. Health agencies have urged practitioners to be vigilant about the
disease, and Dr. Paul Offit of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia commented that measles brings "suffering, hospitalizations,
ICU admissions and the occasional death ... a miserable illness."
Full Story: NBC News (2/5)
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CDC: Increased naloxone dose won't save more lives
An 8 mg naloxone nasal spray for the reversal of opioid overdose does not appear to save more lives than lower standard dosing,
while side effects such as vomiting may be more prevalent with the higher dose, researchers said in the CDC's Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report. Study author Dr. Michael Dailey noted that withdrawal symptoms were much greater in people who received
the higher dose.
Full Story: The Associated Press (2/8)
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Vet explains why it's important to clean up after pets
Vet explains why it's important to clean up after pets
(Pixabay)
Dog and cat feces left in neighborhoods, dog parks and forests can spread life-threatening parasites and viruses to other dogs and
cats as well as wild animals and people, writes veterinarian Julia Wuerz of the University of Florida. Use a shovel to put feces
directly into a plastic bag or put the plastic bag over your hand to grab the pile, tie the bag and place it in -- not on -- a
trash can, and wash your hands with soap and water before touching your face, eating or drinking, Dr. Wuerz writes.
Full Story: The Washington Post (2/4)
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Legislative & Regulatory
EPA aims to classify several PFAS chemicals as hazardous
The EPA said it wants to categorize nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous due to their potential "forever
chemical" effects on population health and the environment. Agency administrator Michael Regan said in a statement that the change
would make it easier for the government to "clean up contamination from PFAS, hold polluters accountable and advance public health
protections."
Full Story: CNN (2/2)
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Maine CDC director aims to make care more available
Dr. Puthiery Va, recently named director of the Maine CDC, says much work remains to be done in supporting residents' health even
after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The department is working to expand care access by hiring more public
health nurses, adding recruitment stipends, building university partnerships, and making job shadowing and interviewing easier. Va
said her family fled Cambodia in the 1970s, and she understands the frustration of people who lack services.
Full Story: Portland Press Herald (Maine) (tiered subscription model) (2/1)
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