An under-recognized public health crisis

Pedestrian deaths hit 40-year high, making road safety a public health priority

Approximately every 12 minutes someone is killed and countless others are injured on American roads.

is more than 42,500 people The number of people who died in car accidents in 2022 will rival or exceed the deaths from other major public health threats, including influenza and gun violence.

“They fail to recognize that traffic violence is a preventable public health crisis.” Amy CohenCo-founder of Families for Safe Streets.

Injuries and deaths from traffic accidents are covered by the medical system. $55 billion In 2022, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThe number of pedestrian deaths has also increased sharply. 7,522 According to the federal government, by 2022 it will be at its highest level in more than 40 years.

“Transportation systems shouldn’t hurt us, and they shouldn’t hurt the environment.” Jonathan EhsaniAssociate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who seeks to prevent motor vehicle accidents using policy and behavioral research;

Transportation experts blame the road deaths on more reckless driving and less enforcement than before the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with larger, more dangerous SUVs and trucks, but they are primarily blaming a transportation system that is designed for efficient travel and economic growth, not safety.

To reverse that, the Biden administration is turning to a “Safe Systems Approach,” a transportation strategy that has been phased in across the country.

This approach would put safety at the heart of road and vehicle design and transportation policy, and force slower traffic flow through communities, Ehsani said.

This would mean lowering speed limits, narrowing roads, building bike lanes and expanding pedestrian buffer zones, and the approach would encourage public transport, downplaying cars that make people more sedentary and pollute the air, he said.

The Biden administration will $20 billion Provides funding for road safety programs through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Some state and local governments are also taking action.

New York and Michigan enacted laws this spring allowing local governments to lower speed limits, and Los Angeles voters approved a resident-led ballot initiative to redesign roads, increase investment in public transportation, add bike lanes and widen sidewalks to protect pedestrians.

But in a country where the car is inextricably linked to the culture and economy, political resistance remains strong.

Caught in between are people whose lives and health have been destroyed. I visited some of the Latino working-class neighborhoods in Los Angeles where I met Maria Rivas CruzShe was attacked in February 2023 along with her fiance. Raymond OlivaresBy a driver going 70 mph in a 40 mph speed limit zone.

Rivas Cruz sustained serious injuries, and Olivares died at the scene.

Residents have campaigned for years for lower speed limits, safe crossing zones and more crosswalk signs. After the accident, the county installed a protective steel bollard in the middle of the road, but Rivas-Cruz called it a “Band-Aid fix.”

“There are so many deaths,” said Rivas Cruz, 28, who now uses a cane and lives with chronic pain. “Our representatives have let us down.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on health issues. KFF — An independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism.

Trump repeats Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism in leaked conference call

Newly released footage shows Trump sharing it. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She told the longtime vaccine skeptic that together they could do something “big,” the Post reported. Mariana Alfaro and Lauren Webber report.

Trump’s comments came during a phone call with Kennedy on Sunday, video of which was posted online by his independent presidential candidate son. The comments echoed previous anti-vaccination rhetoric from Trump, though their exact meaning was not immediately clear.

Let’s take a closer look: “There’s something wrong with this whole system,” Trump said in the video while talking about vaccines, adding, “When you vaccinate a baby, you’re giving them 38 vaccines, and that’s like a vaccine for a horse, not a 10- or 20-pound baby,” suggesting the baby could “change dramatically” later in life.

David Gorsky, Wayne State University Professor and Editor-in-Chief Science-Based Medicinehas rejected Trump’s claims, saying vaccines are not as big a deal as Trump has portrayed them to be and that there is no evidence linking childhood vaccinations to autism.

Why is this important: Trump did not act on his anti-vaccine views during his first term; in fact, his administration has tried to speed up the development of a coronavirus vaccine. But “we don’t know what’s going to happen this time,” Gorsky said. “If elected, he may appoint someone you know to the post.” Food and Drug Administration or CDC“I can imagine they would start to pull back on vaccines that are CDC recommended.”

DeSantis-controlled committee approves ‘dirty tactics’ for abortion referendum

A Florida commission has approved language that will appear at the bottom of a November abortion rights ballot measure that says the referendum will have a “harmful effect on the state budget,” which reproductive rights advocates have called a “dirty tactic,” The Washington Post reports. Lori Rosa I will report.

Financial Impact Language The statement said abortions may have to be publicly funded, and litigation could be costly. The statement concluded that “costs cannot be accurately estimated,” but if the amendment passes, This will be detrimental to the state’s growth.

Important context: Last fall, the commission approved language calling the impacts “undetermined.” Since then, the governor has Ron DeSantis (Right) Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Paul Renner (R) added members who voted to change the financial statements to be put to the vote.

“They’re trying to create confusion and hide the real issues. Amendment 4 is about ending Florida’s extreme anti-abortion laws that ban abortions before many women even know they’re pregnant.” Lauren Brenzelthe Yes on 4 campaign director said in a statement.

Organizers of a proposal to restore abortion rights in Arkansas are suing the state, alleging it illegally rejected a petition to put the question on the November ballot. Andrew DeMillo Reports Associated Press.

Arkansans Want Limited Government Asking the state supreme court to order the secretary of state John Thurston (Republican) took the time to count the signatures, and if the signatures were verified, there would have been enough to place them on the ballot. Last week, Thurston said the group had not submitted required information about paid canvassers it used, a claim that abortion rights groups dispute.

988 Hotline continues to grow in second year, but challenges remain

In the two years since the National Suicide Hotline was first introduced, mental health counselors have answered more than 1,000 suicide calls. Ten million Call, text, chat, and post with people in crisis. Sabrina Mulher The report cited senior Biden administration officials.

largely 1.2 million Many of the calls were handled by the Veterans Crisis Line, which is dedicated to military members and their families, according to a news release.

Important context: of Ministry of Health and Human Services Almost invested $1.5 billion It’s a program for people who sign up for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988, as part of the administration’s larger effort to address the growing mental health crisis. The program will expand in 2023 to include customized services for Spanish speakers, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, and video calling for American Sign Language users.

Yes, but: Despite the progress, implementation of the program has been slow, they said. Axiosof Maya GoldmanChallenges include a lack of funding and problems coordinating with state regulations. Only 10 states impose a surcharge on cell phone bills to support 988 programs. All states impose a similar surcharge for 911 service.

• Go to: of American Healthcare Association/National Center for Assisted Living Tapped Cliff Porter Porter will be the organization’s new president and CEO and currently serves as senior vice president of government relations, overseeing the organization’s legislative agenda and advocacy efforts.
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra Positive reaction About coronavirus I was released from hospital yesterday after experiencing mild symptoms, I have been fully vaccinated and will continue to work remotely.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Published guidance Finalize outreach and education requirements Medicare prescription payment plans will allow drug plan enrollees to pay their out-of-pocket costs in monthly installments next year.
• Health Resources and Services Administration Investing $2.5 million Support the development of a multistate social worker licensure compact aimed at increasing access to behavioral health and better facilitating telehealth services.

Six Colorado workers infected with bird flu, state’s highest number of cases (by Lena H. Sun | The Washington Post)

Health advocates target Philip Morris’s US heated tobacco launch (Emma Rumney | Reuters)

Angry patients spur new state oversight agency to lower drug prices (Anna Claire Vollers | Stateline)

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