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In wellness visits, primary care doctors have a few minutes with patients to check in about various issues related to their health, including smoking, drinking, medications and exercise. Some physicians have added gun safety to the list. The move stems from the perspective, shared by the Minnesota Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups, that gun violence is a public health crisis. (Wurzer and Elder, 4/15)

Aaron Hunter was 13 when he woke up in the hospital after being shot in the head while playing with friends. The shooting happened June 22, 2023 in Sarasota, Florida. The bullet entered just above his right ear and lodged halfway into his brain. He doesn't recall the shooting, or even remember being around a gun, he said. "All I remember is I was picking mangoes with a friend, and then I went to another friend's house, and then I remember waking up in the hospital." (Colombini, 4/18)

In a disturbing worldwide trend, new cancer cases among young people have been increasing sharply. Early-onset cancers, defined as cancer cases diagnosed in people under 50, increased globally by a staggering 79%. (Hetter, 4/18)

As rates of smoking decline worldwide, and some countries even try to ban it, tobacco companies have found other ways to make money by satisfying people’s hankering for nicotine, the addictive stimulant found in tobacco. Sales of “smoke-free” nicotine products are eating into those of cigarettes and other combustibles. Yet health officials are divided as to whether they should condone these products. While less deadly than cigarettes, they can hook users just as easily and may also have harmful effects. (Ekblom, 4/17)

There are a lot of risks when it comes to adolescents using screens — and a new multinational study shows weight-related bullying may be among them. The more time adolescents spend on screens and social media, the greater the likelihood that they will be bullied about their weight, according to the study. (Holcombe, 4/17)