Different Takes: Extreme Heat Makes Some Areas Unhealthy; Better Research Needed On Kids’ Mental Health
Editorial writers delve into these public health issues.
Sustained heat at such levels is inhospitable to human life. Homeless people and those living without air conditioning die by the dozens each year in Phoenix. At least a dozen have already perished this year. People passing out from heat stroke get second- and third-degree burns from the pavement. Everyone else is condemned to being trapped inside for months at a time, blasting air-conditioning and straining the electrical grid. (Mark Gongloff, 7/24)
Our youth are in a mental health crisis. Young people describe steadily increasing sadness, hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. These mental health challenges are greater for youth who hold marginalized identities that include sexual orientation, gender identity or race or ethnicity. (Myeshia Price, 7/25)
Black men in the United States experience higher rates of prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die from the disease than White men. The Black maternal mortality rate is more than double what it is for White women. And Black and Hispanic children living with heart conditions have a much higher risk of death than do White children. These are examples of the bleak health picture for many Americans, and an unfortunate Supreme Court ruling last month may make a bad situation worse. (David J. Skorton and Frank R. Trinity, 7/25)
Last week, Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced that he will resign as president of Stanford over work performed many years ago, in labs at three different institutions. While most of the attention has been focused on the fall from grace of this distinguished scientist, this sad situation carries broader lessons about avoidable outcomes. (C.K. Gunsalus, 7/26)
In the 15 years since it began, Pelotonia has raised more than a quarter of a billion dollars, with every cent brought in dedicated to supporting cancer research at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute — OSUCCC – James —, including the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology. (Mary Yost, 7/26)
