Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
What ‘Dope Sick’ Really Feels Like
Just as each person’s journey into addiction is unique, different approaches work for people trying to find their way out. For me, detoxing was nightmarish. And a long-held dream come true. (Brian Rinker, )
Good morning! Here are some of your top California health news stories.
Southern California Veterans Often Lack Easy Access To VA Health Care. Will Privatization Hurt Or Help?: Changes proposed by the federal government will allow veterans who have long drive times to VA clinics seek private care instead. That could lift a huge burden for some Southern California veterans, who can have to drive an hour to get help or rely on ride-sharing services that lead to daylong trips for basic checkups. A study on veterans in Riverside County even found that 35 percent of eligible veterans living in the county have never used VA health resources. Critics of the privatization changes, however, say the rules shift more money away from the VA system and into private institutions, ultimately hurting veterans. And Rep. Raul Ruiz (Calif.-36) say fixing the problem isn’t that easy. “Policymakers think, ‘If veterans just go to their private doctor in their community, they’ll be fine.’ We know that’s not the case because we have a physician shortage in so many specialties,” Ruiz says in Ventura County Star’s coverage.
Utility Companies Submit Their Wildfire Safety Plans For The Year: Pacific Gas & Electric, which has drawn scrutiny for its possible role in the recent wildfires, will focus on clearing vegetation and removing trees, installing fire-spotter cameras and weather-monitoring stations and increase the number of customers who could temporarily have their power shut off this year. PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy last week, estimated its 2019 plan costs $2.3 billion. Southern California Edison also submitted an expensive plan that included power line inspections and tree removal. On the flip side, San Diego Gas & Electric contended that it had been “ahead of the curve” in wildfire safety and so offered no dramatic changes from last year’s proposal. Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
As Meth Crisis Brews, San Francisco Creates Task Force To Deal With The Epidemic: Although opioids and heroin are often in the news, a meth crisis is quickly rising to the forefront of public health officials’ conscious. In San Francisco, death rates, as well as emergency room visits, related to meth have been skyrocketing the past decade. Now, more people in the city die from methamphetamine use than heroin. In response, San Francisco is creating a task force that will be co-chaired by Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and include representatives from public health, addiction research and the community of methamphetamine users. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day. Media outlets report on news about legislation kid-proofing cannabis products, hospitals, pollution, homelessness, drug pricing and more.
More News From Across The State
Sacramento Bee:
Popularity Of Pot Brownies Calls For Childproof Packaging Law
Who could blame a kid for eating a brownie? But now in California, what looks like a brownie or candy may contains levels of THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, that are dangerous to young children. The health hazards of marijuana ingestion—both edible and inhaled THC—are much more severe than they are in adults. (Lena Rothstein and Lauren Gambill, 2/8)
Sacramento Bee:
California Regulators Fine Mercy Redding In Patient Death
The California Department of Public Health announced Thursday that regulators are fining Redding’s Mercy Medical Center after a surgical team there left a medical sponge in a patient during surgery, causing inflammation in his chest that contributed to his death. The Redding hospital must pay $47,500 for procedural violations that put the health and safety of patients in jeopardy, known as an immediate jeopardy penalty. (Anderson, 2/8)
Ventura County Star:
Hill, Woolsey Fires' First Cleanup Phase Nearly Complete
Household hazardous waste has been cleared from more than 99 percent of properties affected by the Hill and Woolsey fires, according to officials. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Toxic Substances Control cleared the waste in the first phase of the cleanup. During the second phase, the state agency will deal with remaining properties. (2/7)
Capital Public Radio:
Do California Cement Factories Pollute More Than Those In China Or India? Study Suggests Time To Further Reduce Carbon Emissions.
California's cement industry could be overhauled if Sierra Club California and a Bay Area Assembly member get their way. A new Sierra Club study says cement production is responsible for 5 percent of carbon pollution globally. (Romero, 2/7)
Ventura County Star:
As Temperatures Drop, Some Feel Fortunate Homeless Shelter Finally Open
Michael Moyer, who goes by “Gunny,” no longer sleeps during the day. At 9 p.m., it’s lights out at a west county regional homeless shelter in Oxnard. That’s when the Marine veteran goes to bed. When the shelter opened last week ahead of storms, Moyer finally got to sleep at night on a blow-up mattress in a heated room. When he was sleeping outside, covered by cardboard behind a building, it got too cold. (Leung, 2/7)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Will Seek Competitive Proposals From Ambulance Providers.
Stanislaus County will seek competitive proposals from ambulance providers for the county’s exclusive response zones, and that could change the landscape of emergency medical response for years. The ambulance company with the winning bid will be expected to partner with city and rural fire departments, which often arrive at the scenes of medical emergencies and start treatment for patients before an ambulance arrives. (Carlson, 2/7)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Physicians Automated Laboratory Changes Name As Part Of Move To Larger Organization
Physicians Automated Laboratory, a blood-testing company with three offices in Bakersfield, is now part of WestPac Labs after joining in January with two similar organizations outside the area. PAL’s new sister companies are West Pacific Medical Laboratories, headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, and Central Coast Pathology Laboratory, based in San Luis Obispo. (Cox, 2/7)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus Judge Receives Report In Newman, CA, Cop Killing
Paulo Virgen Mendoza, who is accused of killing Newman Police Cpl. Ronil Singh, participated in a mental health evaluation to determine his mental competency. But his attorney says the evaluation and its subsequent report violated his client’s due process rights. (Ahumada, 2/7)
The New York Times:
John Dingell Jr., A House ‘Bull’ Who Served The Longest, Is Dead At 92
John D. Dingell Jr., a powerful and tenacious Michigan Democrat who pushed landmark legislation, exposed corruption in government and became the longest-serving member of Congress in American history, died on Thursday at his home in Dearborn, Mich. He was 92. His wife, Representative Debbie Dingell, announced the death in a statement. Ms. Dingell, who won election to his seat after he announced his retirement in 2014, said this week that she was at home with Mr. Dingell, whose health had been failing. (Schneider and Seelye, 2/7)
The Associated Press:
Former Rep. Dingell, US’s Longest-Serving Lawmaker, Dies
He was a longtime supporter of universal health care, a cause he adopted from his late father, whom he replaced in Congress in 1955. He also was known as a dogged pursuer of government waste and fraud, and even helped take down two top presidential aides while leading the investigative arm of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which he chaired for 14 years. “I’ve gotten more death threats around here than I can remember,” Dingell told The Associated Press in a 1995 interview. “It used to bother my wife, but oversight was something we did uniquely well.” (Householder and Eggert, 2/7)
The Washington Post:
John Dingell: Colleagues, Friends Remember The Longest Serving Congressman From Michigan
President Obama reflected on Dingell’s role in landmark legislation such as Medicare, the Civil Rights Act and the Affordable Care Act. Dingell was especially passionate about ensuring access to health care, Obama wrote in a tribute shared on Twitter. “He had a long tradition of introducing legislation on the first day of each new Congress to guarantee health care for every single American,” Obama wrote. “Because of him, we’ve come closer to that vision than ever before. And when we finally achieve it — and we will — we’ll all owe him our gratitude.” (Brice-Saddler, 2/8)
The Hill:
Dems Unveil Bill For Medicare To Negotiate Drug Prices
Democrats on Thursday unveiled a bill to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, a key part of their agenda to lower pharmaceutical costs. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who is considering a presidential run, and Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, led the announcement at a press conference on Thursday. (Sullivan, 2/7)
Stat:
Potential 2020 Hopeful Sherrod Brown Backs Medicare Drug Negotiation Bill
Brown joined Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and a slate of Democratic congressmen on a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and strip patent exclusivity from pharmaceutical companies if those negotiations fail. While the bill is not Brown’s first foray into drug pricing policy, it is the strongest indication yet that he, like many other 2020 hopefuls, may begin to take a more aggressive tone on the pharmaceutical industry. “We know the White House looks like a retreat for pharmaceutical executives,” Brown said at a press conference, a swipe at President Trump’s health secretary Alex Azar, a former Eli Lilly executive. (Azar, in fact, has made drug prices a focus of the administration’s health policy.) (Facher, 2/7)
The Associated Press:
Johnson & Johnson Will List Drug Prices In TV Commercials
Johnson & Johnson said Thursday it will start giving the list price of its prescription drugs in television ads. The company would be the first drugmaker to take that step. The health care giant will begin with its popular blood thinner, Xarelto, said Scott White, head of J&J's North American pharmaceutical marketing. (2/7)
The New York Times:
Supreme Court Blocks Louisiana Abortion Law
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a Louisiana law that its opponents say could have left the state with only one doctor in a single clinic authorized to provide abortions. The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court’s four-member liberal wing to form a majority. That coalition underscored the pivotal position the chief justice has assumed after the departure last year of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who used to hold the crucial vote in many closely divided cases, including ones concerning abortion. (Liptak, 2/7)
The Associated Press:
Official Who Oversaw Migrant Kids: Separation Causes Trauma
The Health and Human Services official responsible for helping to reunite families separated by the Trump administration said Thursday he had warned colleagues that separating children from their parents would cause lasting, serious psychological trauma. Commander Jonathan White of the U.S. Public Health Service testified before a House subcommittee looking into the "zero-tolerance policy" last April that resulted in the separation of more than 2,700 children. (2/7)
Stat:
Scientists Have Ideas To Spend Trump's Money For Childhood Cancer
Any other cancer where more than three-quarters of patients are cured might seem to be a low research priority — compared to, say, cancers with an approximately 0 percent cure rate, such as adult glioblastoma. But childhood cancers are, well, childhood cancers. “Today’s overall cure rate of 80 percent means than 1 in 5 children will die of their disease,” said Dr. James Downing, president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. “So there is still a lot of work to be done.” (Begley, 2/8)
The New York Times:
Trump Will Have His Yearly Physical On Friday, Without Dr. Ronny Jackson
President Trump is scheduled to undergo the second physical of his presidency on Friday, an annual checkup for a commander in chief who has maintained that he is the picture of stamina. But the Navy doctor who has been crucial to reinforcing that idea will be missing: Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, who mused about Mr. Trump’s “great genes” while delivering the results of last year’s physical, is no longer the White House physician. (Rogers, 2/7)
The Hill:
FDA Says Nearly 1,400 Walgreens Stores Sold Tobacco Products To Minors
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is putting Walgreens on notice over the sales of tobacco products to minors. The FDA said on Thursday that 22 percent of the 6,350 stores it has inspected — or 1,397 locations — sold tobacco products to minors, making Walgreens the top violator among pharmacy chains. (Hellmann, 2/7)
CNN:
Juul Ramped Up Nicotine Levels, And Competitors Followed, Study Says
Leading e-cigarette company Juul Labs spurred a "widespread rush" of companies seeking to boost their own nicotine concentrations in order to mirror Juul's success, according to a paper published Thursday in the BMJ journal Tobacco Control. When Juul released its original 5% nicotine pods in the United States in 2015, the majority of competing products came in 1% to 2% concentrations, according to study author Dr. Robert Jackler, founder of Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising. Now, a number of competing brands reach into the 5% to 7% range. (Nedelman and Selig, 2/7)
Stat:
NIH Asks Watchdog To Investigate Allegations Of Foreign Influence
The National Institutes of Health has referred 12 allegations relating to foreign influence over U.S.-funded research to a federal oversight office, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Wednesday. Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has repeatedly demanded information from the NIH after the agency revealed in August it was investigating a half-dozen academic institutions — specifically, researchers who may have failed to disclose financial ties to foreign governments. (Facher, 2/7)
The New York Times:
A High-Tech Pill To End Drug Injections
Here was the challenge for bioengineers: Find a way to for patients to take drugs — like insulin or monoclonal antibodies used to treat cancers and other diseases — without injections. The medicines are made of molecules too big to be absorbed through the stomach or intestines; in any event, the drugs would be quickly degraded by the body’s harsh digestive system. Now, a team of scientists may have found a solution that delivers these drugs in a capsule a person can swallow. Their inspiration? A tortoise that always rights itself after rolling over. (Kolata, 2/7)
Los Angeles Times:
Psychiatric Patients Need Hospital Beds, Not Jail Cells
Los Angeles County leaders often call their jail system the nation’s largest mental hospital, and to our great collective shame, they are correct. The jails are where we dump thousands of people who really ought to be in psychiatric hospitals, community-based rehabilitation programs or supportive housing. Those facilities were supposed to be built decades ago to replace state mental institutions, which too often served as abusive warehouses for society’s sick and unwanted. The state institutions closed on cue — but precious few of the humane, treatment-oriented alternatives were ever built.So now we “house” much of the mentally ill population on the street, until breakdowns or other crises lead to confrontations and criminal charges. Then they go to jail. (2/4)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Medical Exemptions From Vaccines Endanger Us All
A worrisome rise in the number of cases of measles in Washington prompted that state’s governor to declare a state of emergency on Jan. 25. Even though California has enacted a tough new law that has pushed up vaccination rates here to about 95 percent, doctors remain worried. Why? Because a group of parents appear to be paying for medical exemptions from vaccination, creating geographical hot spots where vaccination rates dip low enough to risk resurgence of life-threatening and preventable disease. (Gail Cornwall and Dylan Chan, 2/3)
Los Angeles Times:
How I Fell For OxyContin
In 2000, when I was 19 and having an existential and Adderall-fueled nervous breakdown, I came home from college for a long weekend and sobbed in my mother’s arms. She held me and shushed me, and then — feeling like she was out of options, she’d tell me later — took out a fat, round, green pill from a bottle on her night table and bit off a small chunk. “Here,” she said as she pulled me close, “Maybe this will calm you down.” It did. I didn’t even ask what it was before I swallowed it, but as soon as it kicked in, I knew: This feels like home. (Dani Fleischer, 2/3)
The Mercury News:
Newsom Must Address Aging Population's Malnutrition
As the aging demographic continues to grow, the stress on the state budget will significantly increase. To meet demand and provide needed care, Newsom must prioritize resources and follow through.The plan should identify and address the social factors that place seniors at risk for malnutrition and other diseases. (Susannah Meyer, 2/3)
Los Angeles Times:
California Voters Don't Know Much About Government. But They Do Have Common Sense
Voters were asked by the Public Policy Institute of California to name the most important issue that new Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature should work on this year. The results were released Wednesday. Usually when such a question is asked, the answer comes back “jobs and economy” or “education.” This time the most frequent answer was “illegal immigration.” (Skelton, 2/7)
Los Angeles Times:
The Nation Faces Many Problems. A Crisis At The Border Isn't One Of Them
The American people face a broad range of challenges these days, some of which can genuinely be considered crises. An opioid-fueled overdose epidemic, for instance, that killed some 70,000 people in each of the last two years. Soaring healthcare costs and an insufficient safety net to keep those who fall ill from also falling into bankruptcy. Massive federal debt from ill-conceived tax cuts. Ongoing wars. Not included on that list are illegal immigration and border security. Do we have problems on those fronts? Definitely. Are they crises? Not even close. Yet that is how the president sought to portray them Tuesday during his State of the Union speech. (2/6)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California’s Secret To Health Is Immigration
What makes California the very picture of health? It’s neither sunshine nor silicone. Our health secret is immigration. While the president blames immigrants for being sources of disease, Californians have long known that immigrants make us healthier. (Joe Mathews, 2/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Pepper Spray Has No Place In L.A. County's Juvenile Halls And Camps
California is one of only a handful of states that permit the use of pepper spray in juvenile facilities. In this state, some counties ban its use. In others, it’s available but seldom deployed. In Los Angeles, however, use has more than doubled in the last several years. (2/6)