Education, public health organizations & others join calls for $1 cigarette tax hike

By Shauna Johnson in News (WV MetroNews) | April 28, 2016 at 1:16PM CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An increase of at least $1 to the state tax on a pack of cigarettes could make the difference for West Virginia’s physical and fiscal health, according to representatives from a coalition of West Virginia education, public health and faith-based community organizations. As state budget … Read More

Advocates make renewed call for $1 tobacco tax increase

By Lydia Nuzum, Staff Writer, Charleston Gazette-Mail Thursday, April 28, 2016 Proponents of a $1 increase in West Virginia’s tobacco tax said Thursday that the struggling proposal is a “no-brainer” for the state with some of the highest rates of smoking among both teens and adults and an existing tax lower than that of 45 other states. On Thursday, a … Read More

WV Tobacco tax proponents say measure will save money

By Rusty Marks Posted: Apr 28, 2016 2:29 PM EDT Updated: Apr 28, 2016 3:23 PM EDT West Virginia will save tens of millions of dollars in medical costs if lawmakers increase the taxes on tobacco products, local health care providers say. Members of the policy research group West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy and local health care providers … Read More

Pass the Buck: Pregnancy Care Providers Want WV to Up Tobacco Tax

Dan Heyman, Public News Service – WV April 29, 2016 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia pregnancy-care providers want lawmakers to “pass the buck” by raising the state cigarette tax by $1 a pack.  With a big hole in the state budget, the $150 million more a year in tobacco revenue looks appealing. But doctors here also hope to reduce the … Read More

Controversial Fetal Assault Law Discontinued by TN Lawmakers

From NPR, “A small but pivotal group of Tennessee representatives voted Tuesday to discontinue one of the state’s most divisive criminal laws. Known as “fetal assault,” the measure empowered prosecutors to arrest women who abuse heroin or pain pills during pregnancy, if their babies were born dependent. A one-of-a-kind statute that criminalized drug use by pregnant women is now on … Read More

Senate advances bill to aid drug-dependent newborns

From Reuters, “A bipartisan bill designed to improve the health and safety of babies born to mothers who used heroin or other opioids during pregnancy was approved by a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday. …Reuters found 110 cases of children who were exposed to opioids while in the womb and who later died preventable deaths at home. No more than nine states comply … Read More

CDC says portions of WV, OH & KY at risk for HIV outbreak

From WOWK, “In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control, researchers sought to identify U.S. counties where persons who inject drugs appear especially vulnerable to the rapid spread of Hepatitis C or HIV. Among the top 220 counties identified as high risk areas, large portions of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia were in the top 5% of the … Read More

Should women avoid potatoes before pregnancy?

From CBS News, “Some researchers suggest that may be a good idea, since a new study finds that women who eat more potatoes before conceiving may face a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes while pregnant. …”We found that a diet with a higher level of potato consumption before pregnancy was related to a greater risk of developing diabetes during … Read More

Shaken baby syndrome in WV more common than we think

From the Charleston Gazette-Mail, “After a father allegedly shook his son and caused bleeding on the 4-month-old’s brain last weekend, health experts said the way to prevent the next occurrence won’t be by pretending such a traumatic incident can only happen to other families. …Dr. Sharon Istfan, associate chief medical officer at Charleston Area Medical Center’s Women and Children’s Hospital, … Read More