Month: May 2016
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In many people, OxyContin doesn’t give 12-hour pain relief as advertised, and that can cause an addiction problem
Oxycontin tablets (Los Angeles Times photo by Liz Baylen) Why have so many people become addicted to the painkiller OxyContin? We know about the overselling of the drug by its...
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Childhood obesity rates continue to rise nationally while Ky.’s rate has leveled off, but 1/3 of kids are still overweight or obese
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Nationally, childhood obesity rates are not declining and severe obesity rates are still rising, especially among minority children. However, in Kentucky, child obesity rates...
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Three more Kentucky counties get needle exchanges; several others discussing, some debating; most are in early stages
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Harrison, Pike and Knox counties are the latest in Kentucky to approve a needle-exchange program, bringing the total number of counties to 14, and...
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Study says intravenous drug users in almost half of Kentucky’s counties are at high risk of getting hepatitis C or HIV
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News A preliminary report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 220 counties in the United States as being most vulnerable...
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FDA to regulate e-cigs: ban sales to minors, require warning signs, require federal approval; did not address advertising issues
In a long-anticipated move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced May 5 that it is assuming regulatory authority over all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, cigars, hookah, tobacco and...
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Stanford hospital is first in Kentucky to go back to laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, to relieve the pain of childbirth
Photo: Abigail Whitehouse, Interior Journal Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital‘s Birthing Spa in Lincoln County is the first in Kentucky to offer nitrous oxide, often called laughing gas, as an alternative...
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Prescription drug addiction not only comes at a personal cost to individuals, but also at an enormous cost to employers
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News With nearly one of three opioid prescriptions being abused, employers are not only subsidizing the cost of these drugs, they are also paying for...
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Studies conclude that abstinence pledges do little to cut youth sexual activity, pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases
Abstinence pledges—sometimes called purity pledges—don’t keep young people from engaging in sex, contracting sexually transmitted diseases or avoiding pregnancy, according to a pair of studies, Denise-Marie Ordway reports for Journalist’s...
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State and national smoke-free leaders tell Ky. advocates to focus on local smoking bans because of political climate in Frankfort
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News More Kentucky localities are likely to see efforts for smoking bans, as a statewide ban appears less likely and leading advocates are saying to...
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Leading tobacco foe is fighting Big Tobacco again, this time because the industry has taken over the electronic cigarette trade
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News One of the nation’s top anti-tobacco advocates told his Kentucky allies last week that the debate about electronic cigarettes makes him feel like he’s...