Latest California Healthline Stories
‘Divided’ Supreme Court Weighs Massachusetts Tobacco Advertising Ban
A “closely divided” Supreme Court yesterday heard arguments on Massachusetts’ 1999 ban on tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet of parks or schools, with some justices indicating that tobacco was a dangerous product whose restriction is justified by the state, while others suggested that Massachusetts had overstepped its constitutional and legal bounds in enacting the advertising ban, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Study Finds Antidepressant Effective for Children’s Disorders
Children and adolescents who have social phobias or anxiety disorders could benefit from treatment with the antidepressant fluvoxamine, according to a new study in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.
Justice Department Might Reassign Suit Lawyers
Attorney General John Ashcroft might remove some of the Justice Department attorneys working on the federal government’s “landmark” lawsuit against the tobacco industry because of concerns with their performance, the Washington Post reports.
Bioinfomatics Could Revolutionize Health Care
In a special report on America’s “Next Frontier,” Newsweek examines the emerging field of bioinformatics, in which researchers use supercomputers, “vast” databases and “complex” software to analyze the “mountain” of data resulting from human genome research.
HHS Review of Stem Cell Research Guidelines Likely By June
Speaking before the Senate Labor, HHS and Education appropriations subcommittee to promote President Bush’s health care budget, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said the agency’s review of NIH guidelines for federally funded embryonic stem cell research should be complete and on his desk by “the end of the first week of June,” Reuters Health reports.
Three New Databases Provide Easily Accessible Genome Information
Oakland-based DoubleTwist has launched three new databases that provide scientists with an accessible way to obtain information about the genomes of humans and mice.
Doctors Rally at Capitol for Higher Medi-Cal Reimbursements
Wearing lab coats and chanting “Health Care, Code Blue,” a group of doctors organized by the California Medical Association rallied at the state Capitol yesterday, calling for increased Medi-Cal reimbursements and more funding for emergency rooms, the Ventura County Star reports.
Poll Finds Californians Favor More Restrictions on Smoking
The “vast majority” of Californians “support restrictions on smoking in public places not already designated by law as smoke-free zones,” according to a new poll.
Assembly Committee Passes Bill to Establish Medical ‘Mercy Mission’ in Underserved Areas
The state Assembly Health Committee yesterday passed a bill (AB 548) that would require the state Department of Health Services to solicit specialists willing to participate in “mercy missions” to treat patients in medically underserved areas, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Scientists Often Do Not Reveal Conflicts of Interest
Scientists who publish articles in science and medical journals often do not reveal their “financial ties” to companies or entities that might “influence their work,” leading some critics to call for stricter disclosure policies at scientific publications, the New York Times reports.