Viewpoints: We Should Be Doing Everything To Help Addicts Stay Alive–Including Approving Safe-Injection Sites
A selection of opinions on health care developments from around the state.
Los Angeles Times:
Gov. Brown, Don't Let The Feds Scare You Into Vetoing Safe Injection Site
Last month, the Legislature gave its blessing to a proposal under which San Francisco would be allowed to open one safe injection facility on a three-year trial basis. ... The narrower bill is now on the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown. He should sign it, despite the threat leveled by Deputy U.S. Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein in an op-ed in the New York Times in August, the day after the Legislature approved the bill. (9/12)
Sacramento Bee:
On Propositions 8 And 11, Vote To Protect Patient Safety
Proposition 8, which would limit revenues at nearly 600 outpatient dialysis clinics, is another power play by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, which is trying to organize clinic workers and force more hiring. ... If we were confident that Proposition 8 would lead to better care for patients and lower bills, we would be inclined to support it. But because this measure is so complex – as is healthcare financing in general – it’s also possible that the measure could backfire and lead to less care. ... Proposition 11 would allow the companies to continue their longstanding practice of requiring their paramedics and EMTs to stay on duty during meal and rest breaks in case of 911 calls. ... We generally support workers and their rights on the job. On these ballot measures, however, patients have to come first. (9/12)
Sacramento Bee:
California Needs To Catch Up On Gun Safety
Generally, when it comes to gun safety, California leads the nation. We require criminal background checks on every gun sale, and we were one of the first states to adopt a strong “red flag” law that allows family members and police to seek a court order temporarily blocking someone from having guns if they show signs of violence. But when it comes to concealed carry permits, we’ve fallen behind. Under current state law, it is legal for a person who has never fired a gun to carry a concealed, loaded handgun in public. (David Brame, 9/7)
Los Angeles Times:
We Can't Make Economically Rational Choices On Healthcare. Our Brains Won't Let Us
Standing under a sign reading “pain relief,” I scanned the shelves, my legs throbbing after a 10K race that morning. I spotted a familiar red box: Tylenol Extra Strength, 100 pills for $7. Right next to it was the drug store’s generic version, offering 100 pills for $5. This should have been a no-brainer. I’m a physician, and I know the active ingredient, acetaminophen, is the same in both. It’s a simple molecule — a six-carbon hexagonal ring at the center with two side chains poking out — something any biochem major could manufacture in an afternoon. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also makes certain that generic and brand-named drugs are identical. There were only two differences here: the packaging and the price. (Robert Pearl, 9/10)
Los Angeles Times:
One-Third Of American Schools Still Contain Asbestos. That's Unconscionable
As we send our kids back to school, we do our best to prepare them for the new academic year. We buy their school supplies, make their lunches, sort out secure routes to and from campus and attempt to curb bullying. But there is a truly lethal threat that we scarcely discuss: asbestos poisoning. Roughly one-third of American schools contain asbestos, the dangerous mineral once heralded for its fire-resistant properties, but which we now know causes cancer and a host of other diseases, even at very low levels of exposure. (Linda Reinstein, 9/13)
Fresno Bee:
Quality Health Care In The Valley
As an emergency room doctor, I saw the vital need for all families to have access to quality care. The 31st Assembly District, which covers much of Fresno County and which I represent in the Legislature, includes some of the state’s most disadvantaged and impoverished communities. (Dr. Joaquin Arambula, 9/13)
Fresno Bee:
Wellness Elusive In Fresno County
Wellness is that ability to recognize, and capacity to achieve, the maximum of our genetic makeup, and it is something that many of us casually take for granted. ... The keystone to this is our educational system. (Dr. Ken Bird, 9/11)
Los Angeles Times:
California Is Sitting On Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars For Mental Health Programs. Let's Put It To Use
Like much of the rest of the nation, California went only halfway toward keeping its promise to improve mental health care. ... A bipartisan proposal from state Sens. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) would provide the appropriate spending guidelines and promote some uniformity in treatment around the state while leaving counties the flexibility to spend on different priorities if they can make a persuasive case for them. The measure (Senate Bill 1004) cleared the Legislature and is now on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk. (9/10)
Sacramento Bee:
Trump Is Unikely To Be The First President Removed With The 25th Amendment
The anonymous op-ed in the New York Times said that senior staff officials have considered invoking the 25th Amendment to have President Donald Trump declared incapable of performing the duties of office. This would be unprecedented in American history. At this point, it is highly unlikely to be used, but it is stunning that it has been discussed in the White House at all. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 9/10)