Month: October 2020
Study shows women are drinking more heavily and using more drugs this year
The pandemic has had all sorts of effects. People are driving less, but percentage rates of speeding, driving impaired, or engaging in other risky behavior is higher. Many people are at home with their families more, but they’re experiencing significant loneliness. Reports of domestic violence are on the rise, perhaps driven by economic insecurity and
OxyContin maker Purdue pleads guilty to 3 criminal charges
The painkiller OxyContin has played an outsized role in the opioid crisis, which has killed at least 470,000 people since 2000. Originally intended as a drug for severe pain, OxyContin was prescribed widely for moderate pain, exposing millions to the risk of addiction and overdose. While many factors may have contributed to the opioid crisis,
Cognitive distractions: A risk drivers must avoid
When you think of distracted driving, most people imagine someone texting while driving, doing their make-up in traffic or looking out at the scenery instead of paying attention to the road in front of them. These are all legitimate – and dangerous – examples of distractions that drivers engage in all too often. However, some
Arrested for DUI on your military base? Get help.
For military service members, a DUI can be doubly serious. Not only is it a criminal offense that could be punished via a court martial, but it is also an employee discipline issue that could affect your career long term. For an on-base DUI arrest, the military could charge you under Uniform Code of Military Justice
Could a brain-boosting supplement affect your driving?
It’s possible. A recent study by Harvard Medical School found that many over-the-counter supplements, particularly those meant to boost memory or brain function, contain potentially dangerous, unapproved drugs. It appears that the manufacturers of some brain-boosting supplements are breaking the law. It’s illegal to market foreign pharmaceuticals as supplements in the United States. Yet the researchers
Johnson & Johnson to pay $5 billion toward US opioid settlement
According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdoses involving prescription and illegal opioids kill 128 people every day in the United States. Since 1999, over 750,000 people in the U.S. have died from opioid overdoses. Who is responsible? With this many deaths, it’s unrealistic to blame drug users and doctors alone. Millions of people have
Government issues warning: Don’t use nursing pillows for sleep
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has just issued a stark warning regarding nursing pillows, lounging pads and similar products. They pose a suffocation hazard for babies. While it is OK to use these products when the baby is awake, children have died from being left near the products when sleeping. The agency says it
What to expect when getting a mesothelioma diagnosis
If you were exposed to asbestos during your life, whether at work, at home or in the military service, you know how important it is to be on the lookout for signs or symptoms of asbestos-related diseases including mesothelioma. Keeping an eye out for these signs can often help you obtain a diagnosis as soon
Give them a brake. Work zone crashes are up despite low traffic
They fill potholes. They stripe roads. They build our highways and byways. Road construction workers face serious danger while they do their jobs. That danger seems to be increasing due to the pandemic, as more motorists are driving recklessly or at excessive speeds on the newly empty roads. At the same time, some transportation departments
Is DUI increasing during the pandemic?
It’s unclear whether drunk driving is on the increase during the pandemic, but there are signs that it may be. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a series of stakeholder workshops to address the unusual traffic safety conditions that have arisen. According to the agency, these include emptier roads, higher speeds and