578: New Fentanyl Laws, Report Indicates Climate Impacts on Mental Health

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Thursday, January 11, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

SAMEER VOHRA: 

Well, the Illinois General Assembly has taken several important steps to address the growing problem of drugs laced with fentanyl.

JOHNSON: 

New laws in Illinois will seek to address the deadly effects of fentanyl. Dr. Sameer Vohra is director of the State Department of Public Health.

VOHRA: 

The first bill allows for schools to maintain and use opioid antagonists like naloxone, really to be able to provide that immediate relief for someone who's having that opioid overdose and the second allows for the effort to include education about fentanyl in high school curriculums.

JOHNSON: 

The laws took effect on New Year's Day, Vohra says they come not a moment too soon.

VOHRA: 

From 2013 to 2020 opioid overdose deaths soared by more than 2,000% in Illinois. That number is way too high, and we have to use every tool at our disposal to reduce those numbers--- those untimely deaths.

JOHNSON: 

Another new law allows pharmacists and retailers to sell fentanyl testing strips over the counter. You can read more about these actions using the link in the show notes.

A new National Climate Assessment is available detailing the far reaching and worsening impacts of human caused climate change. Paul Schramm is a scientist with the CDC's climate health program.

PAUL SCHRAMM: 

So, the human health chapter lays out the newest things that we know about human health and how it's impacted by climate change and what's changed in that over the last few years since the fourth National Climate Assessment.

JOHNSON: 

Schramm says this is the fifth time the report has been issued since 1990.

SCHRAMM: 

It really outlines new research showing how indigenous communities, communities of color, individuals with low wealth, people with disabilities and chronic diseases, children how all of these face increased health risks from climate change.

JOHNSON: 

The latest report also includes emerging evidence of the impacts of climate change on mental health.

SCHRAMM: 

So, we're seeing that extreme weather events, wildfires, and even kind of slow onset disasters like drought or sea level rise can really contribute to adverse mental and spiritual health outcomes and these harms can arise from things like forced displacement, migration, trauma during and after a disaster, and even loss of sense of place and belonging.

JOHNSON: 

You can read the report using the link in the show notes.

Also today, funding approaches and communication of policy can help agencies make a difference in the campaign to prevent adverse childhood experiences. O'Keyla Cooper has that story.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

Join ASTHO's webinar on leveraging policy and funding to prevent adverse childhood experiences on January 29, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. Hear from experts about the importance of policy, and braiding and layering funding, and preventing adverse childhood experiences. Dr. Jonathan Pirtle, Safe States Alliance, and CDC will present and valuable ACEs prevention resources on beto violence will be shared, registered through the link in the show notes.

JOHNSON: 

Finally, this morning, stay on top of policy changes in Congress and state capitals across the country when you sign up for ASTHO's Legislative Alert emails, there's a link in the show notes.

Before we go, we'd like to remind you to follow this newscast on your podcast player and ASTHO on social media. We are on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. That'll do it for today.

We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.