How many children smoke, vape, or use nicotine pouches?

Everyone knows tobacco kills, so why has the FDA recently made several decisions that will increase the use of tobacco products by children and teens?



But we haven't given up! When given the opportunity in early July, we responded to the FDA's request for recommendations about the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) of middle and high school students. We urged the FDA to continue the survey because it is urgently needed as "an essential source of accurate, reliable, and timely information on youth tobacco and nicotine product use, including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and other emerging products." We explained that when the survey shows there are increases in children's tobacco use, government programs can target their efforts to stop those trends before they get dangerously out of control.

To read our comment to the FDA, click here.

"You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Episode 1: Should mammogram policies be based on politics or science?

Have you watched our social media series, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up? In these short reels, NCHR President Dr. Diana Zuckerman points out surprisingly ridiculous health policies, gets past the hype of ads for medical products, and explains important health information for patients and the public.

In Episode 1, Dr. Zuckerman discusses a Congressional proposal to require insurance coverage for annual mammograms starting at age 30. That may sound reasonable, but mammograms are almost never accurate for such young women.

Mammograms can save lives when they are used for the right patients at the right time. But inaccurate screening can lead to false alarms, extra tests, unnecessary biopsies, and anxiety. And annual screening starting at such a young age would result in so much radiation exposure that could cause breast cancer. Legislation should not be introduced to get votes, it should be carefully designed to help us, not harm us.



Watch the episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

We urged Congress to protect children from junk food marketing.

Cancer prevention starts long before a diagnosis. It includes policies that help children and families avoid unhealthy foods and drinks that can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other serious diseases, including several types of cancer.

That is why NCHR endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders' Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act. It would ban junk food ads aimed at children, require clearer front-of-package warning labels for unhealthy foods, and fund more NIH research on food additives and ultra-processed foods. Currently, approximately two-thirds of the calories Americans consume come from ultra-processed foods. Despite the name, this legislation will help prevent cancer and other diseases as well as diabetes.

Families should not be misinformed by confusing labels or marketing claims that make unhealthy foods sound healthy.

Most parents don't realize that the foods children eat can result in health problems that increase their chances of cancer and other serious diseases as they get older. If it becomes law, this legislation would help families make choices that would save lives.



To read our letter endorsing the legislation, click here.

Why are cancer rates rising in Iowa?

Iowa has the second-highest proportion of cancer cases in the U.S. and is one of only 3 states where cancer rates are increasing. Many experts are concerned that chemicals from pesticides, fertilizer, and manure used in farming are contaminating the water and causing cancer and other serious health problems.

Families deserve to know whether the water they drink and the air and the soil around them are contaminated with chemicals that can harm their health. They also deserve farm policies that protect people from toxic exposures, not policies designed to protect industry profits while loved ones die.

These cancer concerns are now affecting politics in Iowa because people across the political spectrum are worried about Roundup weedkiller, fertilizer, and polluted water. Americans deserve safe drinking water, safe food, and government policies that put public health first.



Read the Politico article here.

Why are Obamacare premiums going up again?

Health insurance is affordable when healthy people buy coverage in addition to people with serious health problems. When Obamacare (also known as the Affordable Care Act) and other health insurance become too expensive, healthier people are more likely to drop their insurance. The cost of Obamacare went up last year, after enhanced subsidies that helped low-income and middle-income people afford coverage were not renewed. That's why a smaller, sicker group of people enrolled. Insurers say they need to charge more because those patients need more expensive care.

As a result, insurance companies are proposing a median premium increase of 14% for Obamacare plans in 2027.

This matters to all of us because higher monthly health insurance costs mean many people must choose between paying for health insurance and paying for other basic needs. People who go without coverage often delay care until they are sicker and treatment is more expensive, increasing the cost of health insurance for everyone. Americans need affordable health insurance to stay well, and that benefits all of us!



Read about this in the MedPage Today article here.

What's in your drinking water?

Safe drinking water should protect people from germs without exposing them to chemicals that may increase cancer risks.  A new study of 53,100 California women found an increase in cancer due to water treatment intended to make water safer.

Women were more likely to develop uterine cancer if they had more long-term exposure to some disinfecting chemicals used to treat community drinking water. Researchers found trihalomethanes, also known as THMs, could cause endometrioid tumors, the most common type of uterine cancer.

Since municipal water is also used for bottled water sold in stores, this study shows that the chemicals used to treat water need to be carefully studied before they are used. The EPA is responsible for making sure our water is safe, but recent decisions to stop testing chemicals could be harming many of us.

Read the MedPage Today article here.

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Did you know that artificial turf, rubber playground surfaces, and rubber mulch contain chemicals that can cause attention problems, obesity, early puberty, asthma, and cancer? Are your children or grandchildren getting exposed when they play? Follow us @safe.to.play

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