Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Will Examine If Psychedelic Can Help In Quitting Smoking
The study, a randomized controlled trial expected to start later this year, will investigate whether psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in 鈥渕agic mushrooms,鈥 can help people quit smoking tobacco. Hopkins researchers will lead the trial, which will be done in collaboration with researchers at NYU Langone Health and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.聽(Syal, 10/26)
More on drug use and addiction 鈥
Who gets better medical care in the United States: 鈥渁ddicts,鈥 or 鈥減eople with substance use disorders鈥? The terms, of course, mean functionally the same thing. But in the field of addiction medicine, the question presents something of a crisis. (Facher, 10/26)
Should showing up stoned to school mean you should be sent by ambulance to the聽hospital?聽In New Haven, a Dixwell Avenue charter school said聽yes. (McFadden, 10/25)
Six Nashville children born addicted to opioids, now between 2 and 8 years old, are suing top opioid manufacturers like Endo and Johnson & Johnson as well as the pharmacies CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. (Timms, 10/25)
In other health and wellness news 鈥
A massive recall of millions of sleep apnea machines has stoked anger and frustration among patients, and U.S. officials are weighing unprecedented legal action to speed a replacement effort that is set to drag into next year. ... Philips initially estimated it could repair or replace the units within a year. But with the recall expanding to more than 5 million devices worldwide, the Dutch company now says the effort will stretch into 2023. That鈥檚 left many patients to choose between using a potentially harmful device or trying risky remedies. (Perrone, 10/25)
A large majority of transgender adolescents who received puberty suppression treatment went on to continue gender-affirming treatment, a new study from the Netherlands has found. (Wamsley, 10/26)
Researchers across the globe collaborate to study climate and health in an annual聽report,聽the Lancet medical journals鈥 鈥渃ountdown鈥 on health and climate change.聽In this year鈥檚 U.S. portion of the report,聽released Tuesday, scientists break down research on the health impacts of a warming climate and outline policy recommendations, focusing on health equity. (Hassanein, 10/25)