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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Monday, May 12 2025

Full Issue

More High Schoolers Are Using Nicotine Pouches

Also: Fungus-contaminated marijuana is recalled in Arizona; the FDA is warning against tianeptine, aka "gas station heroin"; coolers are recalled after handles cause finger amputations; and more.

More U.S. high-schoolers used nicotine pouches — smokeless nicotine powder products — last year than the year before, according to new research published in JAMA Network Open. The researchers, who used data from a nationally representative survey of 10,146 youths in 2023 and 2024, said 5.4 percent of 10th- and 12th-graders reported having used nicotine pouches, up from 3 percent the year before. The 10th- and 12th-graders’ use of pouches in the 12 months and 30 days before the surveys also increased year to year. Males were also more likely to use pouches than females. (Docter-Loeb, 5/12)

Marijuana sold in Arizona has been recalled by the state's health department due to fungus contamination. Newsweek has reached out to ADHS for further comment by email Sunday during non-working hours. Marijuana is legal for medical use in 38 states, and legal for recreational use in 24 states for those over the age of 21, as Newsweek previously reported. Five more states - Wisconsin, Florida, Hawaii, South Dakota, and South Carolina - could approve use in through legislation this year. (Silverman, 5/11)

The Food and Drug Administration is warning the public about the harmful effects of products containing tianeptine, also referred to as "gas station heroin" due to its availability in gas station stores. Tianeptine is an opioid alternative prescribed as an antidepressant in some Latin American, Asian and European countries. It is not approved by the FDA for any use in the U.S. and can cause a range of adverse events. (Moniuszko, 5/9)

Also —

With progress falling far short of goals, health disparities are cutting lives short by decades in both high- and low-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) contends in a new report on the social determinants of health equity. For example, on average, people in the country with the lowest healthy life expectancy live 33 years shorter than those born in the country with the highest life expectancy, and children born in the poorer countries are 13 times more likely to die before age 5 years than those in wealthier countries. (Van Beusekom, 5/9)

About 130,000 Igloo coolers were recalled on Thursday after consumers reported 78 fingertip injuries from the cooler’s tow handle, 26 of which led to fingertip amputations, bone fractures or cuts, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (Ruberg, 5/11)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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