In the New England Journal of Medicine, Atheendar S. Venkataramani and Alexander C. Tsai point out that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has proven to have a quite remarkably positive effect on the health of "dreamers":
Read moreFederal 'Right to Try' Legislation - perpetuating a misguided skepticism towards the FDA [From CRITical Thinking] →
George Consortium member Jeanie Kim, with the Collaboration for Research Integrity and Transparency (CRIT) at Yale Law School, has written a detailed look at the proposed federal "right to try" legislation. Wendy Parmet and Elisabeth Ryan wrote about the Senate bill on PHLW a few months ago; Jeanie's commentary serves as a great companion piece, emphasizing the potential dangers of making an end run around the FDA.
Read moreA Safer Way to Legalize Marijuana [from Health Affairs Blog] →
Eight US states, the District of Columbia, and the country of Uruguay have recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana, with Canada and more US states poised to do the same. The new laws include limits on youth access, operation of motor vehicles when using, and high-volume purchases or possession. However, none of the laws consider which kinds of marijuana products should and should not be legally sold.
Read moreBriefly: Massachusetts Governor Proposes New Crime of Manslaughter for 'Drug Dealers'
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker filed legislation yesterday which would, among other things, create a new crime of manslaughter for drug dealers if a person dies from using their drugs. Specifically, anyone who "manufactures, distributes, or dispenses" any controlled substance would be "strictly liable" if "a death...results from the injection, inhalation, or ingestion of that substance."
Read more"Right to Try" May Do More Harm Than Good
When the Senate approved the “Right to Try Act of 2017” on August 3, Republican sponsor Senator Ron Johnson hailed it as a law that helps “real people facing their mortality with no hope.” The bill allows patients with “a life-threatening disease or condition” who have “exhausted approved treatment options” to go directly to pharmaceutical companies and request access to drugs or devices not yet approved through the traditional process. The bill does not, however, require those drug companies to grant any such requests. It also does not address how much drug companies can charge those patients for access. And the rhetoric hailing it as a savior for patients “with no hope” ignores the fact that the FDA already has an Expanded Access (Compassionate Use) procedure that allows patients to access investigational medical products outside of clinical trials.
Read moreOSHA Erases Data on Worker Fatalities from Its Website
As part of The Pump Handle project by our collaborators at the Public Health Advocacy Institute, Kim Krisberg points out that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has removed data about worker fatalities from its homepage:
Read moreNot Your Grandfather's Preemption: Proposed Federal Preemption of State Medical Malpractice Cases
During this past spring and summer’s debates over Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, GOP leaders insisted that states should be given greater flexibility over health care. Their support for states’ rights relating to health care, however, seems to be fickle.
Read moreThe Wrong Path: Involuntary Treatment and the Opioid Crisis [from The Crime Report] →
PHLW's Leo Beletsky and Elisabeth Ryan wrote about the increasing use of "Section 35" commitments in Massachusetts over at The Crime Report. This law allows people with substance use disorders to be committed involuntarily to a secure facility for up to 90 days. This is not the way to handle the opioid crisis.
Read moreLaw Enforcement, Drugs, and the 'Public Health' Approach [from The Crime Report]
Leo Beletsky, George Consortium founding member and Associate Professor of Law and Health Sciences at Northeastern University School of Law, wrote "Law Enforcement, Drugs, and the 'Public Health' Approach," for The Crime Report in April 2016. Watch tomorrow for a new piece about the law in Massachusetts that allows individuals with substance use disorders to be involuntarily committed to secure facilities for up to three months.
Read moreThe Tanning Tax is a Public Health Success Story [from Health Affairs Blog]
Given Congressional Republicans’ failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the elimination of the tanning tax appears to be off the table, at least for now.
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