Articles Tagged with ''public health''

Public health groups blast EPA’s clean energy rule

June 20, 2019

The Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule finalized by the EPA this week is coming in for heavy criticism from leading health and environmental organizations, who are calling it “a dangerous replacement” for the Clean Power Plan. "EPA's decision to finalize the ACE rule means that more Americans will experience illness and early death – plain and simple. Furthermore, this rule will allow power plants across the nation to continue to be a major source of emissions that are driving climate change."

Activists claim fracking – cancer link in Pennsylvania

June 18, 2019

More than a hundred groups and hundreds of individuals from Pennsylvania have signed onto a letter to the state’s governor, calling for an official investigation into recent reports of rare cancers in counties heavily impacted by shale gas development over the last decade. The letter also calls for the Governor Tom Wolf to suspend all gas drilling permits until the investigation shows that fracking is not the cause of what appears to be an emerging public health crisis.

How big a risk is rabies?

June 17, 2019

Although the U.S. has had considerable success at preventing and controlling rabies during the past 80 years, exposure to rabid animals sends approximately 55,000 Americans to hospital emergency departments each year. Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC, said that vaccination programs for dogs and the availability of post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, the vaccine and medicine people get to prevent rabies if they may have been exposed to a rabid animal, have contributed to a 95% decrease in annual rabies deaths in people.

Affected by flooding? Be aware of these possible health effects

June 14, 2019

With many communities experiencing flooding caused by heavy rainfall in recent months, the American Lung Association (ALA) is reminding people that property damage isn’t the only thing to worry about. In addition to containing dangerous substances like sewage, oil and gas, floodwaters can cause mold, which may affect your respiratory health long after the water has receded.

Democrats, Republicans agree on something:

Rural access to health care a big concern among Americans

June 13, 2019

A vast majority of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, consider access to health care in rural communities an important issue, according to a new poll released by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). At the same time, people in rural communities say they have difficulty getting quality health care due to a lack of available facilities, a shortage of doctors and other factors.

After 20-year increase, new diabetes cases decline

35% drop in new diabetes diagnoses – and no increase in total cases

June 7, 2019

New cases of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. decreased by 35 percent since a peak in 2009 – the first sign that efforts to stop the nation’s diabetes epidemic are working, CDC researchers report. New cases have declined from 1.7 million new cases per year in 2008 to 1.3 million new cases in 2017. And there’s more good news: The number of people living with diagnosed diabetes in the United States has remained stable during the past 8 years.

When pain causes more pain: opioid hazards in the workplace

June 5, 2019

Discussions about the U.S. opioid epidemic are frequent, but the impact of opioids on workers may be left out of the conversation. Certain occupations, such as emergency medical services, law enforcement, and environmental services, face a high risk of occupational exposure to opioids — including the extremely toxic fentanyl and carfentanil — when responding to overdoses.

In LA: Better air quality, lower asthma rates

Leigh Hopper

May 23, 2019

Improved air quality in the Los Angeles region is linked to roughly 20 percent fewer new asthma cases in children, according to a USC study that tracked Southern California children over a 20-year period. The research expands on the landmark USC Children’s Health Study, which found that children’s lungs had grown stronger in the previous two decades and rates of bronchitic symptoms decreased as pollution declined throughout the region.

Pool chem injuries cause 4K+ emergency department visits a year

Kids, teens at special risk

May 21, 2019

Pool chemical injuries led to an estimated 4,535 U.S. emergency department visits annually during 2008-2017, according to a report published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Although injuries from pool chemicals are preventable, the number of serious injuries from these chemicals has not changed much in the last 15 years.

FDA illegally delayed action on e-cigarettes

May 20, 2019

A federal judge has ruled that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acted illegally when it delayed a required review of the public health impact of e-cigarettes – a delay that allowed the products to stay on the market until 2022. Cigar makers were given until 2021. In what health experts are calling a major victory for children’s and teen’s health, U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled that the FDA had exceeded its legal authority in giving e-cigarette manufacturers more time to sell their products before applying for FDA authorization.