Child Vaccine Law Challenged In Court On Constitutional Grounds
In other news on youth health, a new survey finds that teens' use of e-cigarettes declines for the first time. And hospitals cope with a surge in babies born with drug dependencies.
East Bay Times:
California’s Child Vaccination Law Faces Another Legal Challenge
Opponents of a new California state law requiring nearly all schoolchildren to be fully vaccinated have mounted another legal challenge — this time, setting the science of immunization aside and focusing on constitutional rights. Under California’s child vaccine law, one of the strictest in the nation, parents are no longer allowed to skip required immunizations for their children based on personal or religious beliefs. The new rules, the plaintiffs argue, force families to choose between three constitutionally protected rights: making medical decisions for their children; bodily autonomy, and a public education. (Murphy, 12/13)
Los Angeles Times:
E-Cigarette Use Falls Among Teens For The First Time, Study Finds
For the first time, researchers are seeing signs that American teens may be turning away from electronic cigarettes. An annual survey involving thousands of middle and high school students from across the nation found that use of e-cigarettes — both experimentally and on a regular basis — declined in 2016 after reaching an all-time high in 2015. (Kaplan, 12/12)
The New York Times:
Rise In Infant Drug Dependence Is Felt Most In Rural Areas
As the opioid epidemic sweeps through rural America, an ever-greater number of drug-dependent newborns are straining hospital neonatal units and draining precious medical resources. The problem has grown more quickly than realized and shows no signs of abating, researchers reported on Monday. (Saint Louis, 12/12)