"Health & Medical News"

A new study concludes that blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to have severe cases of a rare form of liver cirrhosis, but experts don’t know why, Reuters reported Sept. 20.

Among patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), which involves destruction of the liver’s small bile ducts, minorities tend to have more severe symptoms. PBC is more likely to strike young and middle-aged Caucasian women, however.

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Middle-school students in North Carolina will receive media-literacy education on alcohol ads and other media that promote underage drinking under a new state initiative, the Raleigh News & Observer reported Sept. 12.

The program, called “Media Ready,” features 10 lessons designed to be delivered in school and was unveiled this week by First Lady Mary Easley and acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu. The curriculum already is in use in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Chatham schools.

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Amanda Bynes to spritz her bubbly personality into a new collection of clothes that is hitting stores just in time for the back-to-school shopping blitz. She may share an age bracket with other young stars making news headlines, but that’s about it. The 21-year-old actress turned fashion designer, who just launched her under-$20 line, Dear, exclusively for Steve and Barry’s, is all about staying out of the gossip columns.
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A British study finds that 40 percent of employers believe that employee drinking is a major cause of absenteeism and poor productivity, and one-third feel the same is true of illicit drugs, the BBC reported Sept. 16.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) study found that 22 percent of employers test workers for alcohol and other drugs, while 9 percent plan to do so. About one-third of companies surveyed reported firing workers with alcohol problems over the past two years, and more than one in four said they would report workers with drug problems to police.

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Utah’s new anti-methampetamine public-awareness campaign calls on the friends and family members of users to help them overcome their addiction, the Deseret Morning News reported Sept. 24.

That’s a departure from typical campaigns against the drug, which often focus on “meth mouth” and other gruesome effects that the drug can have on users.

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Statement by Pedro Morillas, CALPIRG Legislative Advocate: 

“We applaud the Senate for passing AB 8 (N??ez) this afternoon.

“Regulating the insurance companies must be part of any meaningful health care reform. CALPIRG supports AB 8, in large part because the bill grants Californians access to more affordable health insurance. 

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A new report from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) finds that Hispanic youth are more likely to use illicit drugs than white or black teens and says trying to adapt to American culture may be the cause, the Associated Press reported Sept. 24.

The “Hispanic Teens & Drugs” report said that more than 10 percent of Hispanic 8th-graders used illicit drugs during the past month, compared to 8.6 percent of blacks and 7.5 percent of whites. ONDCP unveiled the report as it launched a new anti-drug campaign targeting Hispanic youths.

Popularity: 6% [?]