Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Los Angeles Schools To Get Naloxone To Combat Overdoses
Los Angeles public schools will stock campuses with the overdose reversal drug naloxone in the aftermath of a student鈥檚 death at Bernstein High School, putting the nation鈥檚 second-largest school system on the leading edge of a strategy increasingly favored by public health experts. (Blume, 9/22)
Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Thursday the launch of a free prescription drug card for Nevada residents that can save them money on both generic and brand-name medications. The ArrayRX digital discount card saves on average 80 percent on the cost without insurance of generic drugs and up to 20 percent on brand-name medications, he said. (Hynes, 9/22)
A judge in Oregon鈥檚 Washington County has ruled against the county鈥檚 2021 ban on flavored tobacco products, meaning adults over 21 can still buy them. Circuit Judge Andrew Erwin wrote in his opinion this week that the decision to disallow licensed retail sale of such products must come from the state, not county by county, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. (9/22)
Preliminary federal data shows Louisiana has the nation鈥檚 fourth-highest rate of dangerous West Nile virus infections, so people should protect themselves from mosquitoes, the state Department of Health says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only South Dakota, Colorado and North Dakota have higher rates of West Nile virus infections affecting the brain or nervous system. (9/22)
KHN: In Jackson, The Water Is Back, But The Crisis Remains聽
In mid-September, Howard Sanders bumped down pothole-ridden streets in a white Cadillac weighed down with water bottles on his way to a home in Ward 3, a neglected neighborhood that he called 鈥渁 war zone.鈥 Sanders, director of marketing and outreach for Central Mississippi Health Services, was then greeted at the door by Johnnie Jones. Since Jones鈥 hip surgery about a month ago, the 74-year-old had used a walker to get around and hadn鈥檛 been able to get to any of the city鈥檚 water distribution sites. (Rayasam, 9/23)