Health

Expanding treatment-based options in jail and prison is one of the recommendations by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse to reduce substance-involved inmates crowding prisons. Photo by Mike Bitzenhofer, courtesy of Creative CommonsThe United States might be wasting money by not effectively treating incarcerated substance abusers, according to a 10-year study released Friday. It suggests that investing money more wisely in treatment could save taxpayers in the long-run.

Reagan National Airport has used full-body scanners since last year. TSA recently used $15 million of stimulus money for another security measure: hand swabs, which will detect residue from explosives.: Photo by Kristin McGrath"Your Safety is Our Priority" is the Transportation Security Administration's motto. And in the midst of the Obama Administration's order of 500 full-body scanners for $240 million, another security measure has been added: "explosive trace detection" or ETD. 

On the day before President Obama's health care summit, more than 100 people gathered to remember a cancer patient and ask for health reform to prevent more deaths like hers.

Bicycling enthusiasts gather at the Bicycle Film Festival block party in New York City.: Photo courtesy of Andy MillerA decade ago, Brendt Barbur was hit by a bus while riding his bike in New York City. His injuries landed him in the hospital, but you won’t find him discouraging others from biking.

“I wanted to make something positive out of my experience, something fun,” Barbur says.

The accident inspired Barbur to found the Bicycle Film Festival in 2001, which celebrates bicycles through art and film. In its nine-year history, the festival has been held in 39 cities around the world, including New York, Tokyo, Chicago and London. It will come to Washington, D.C., for the first time this weekend (Dec. 4 and 5).

Washington has a “really rich” biking culture, says Barbur, because of its bike messengers, recreational cyclists and commuters.

“We had a lot of demand to go to D.C., and it just never worked out,” he says. “A lot of folks from D.C. come to the New York event. It just turned out to be something that became realistic and that seemed right to do this year.”

Four-pointer buck found at Leesburg Pike and Riva Ridge at the yellow sign. Obvious injury to right shoulder.: Photo by Chase Murray, American ObserverFAIRFAX, Va. – On the morning of Oct. 7, 2009, Erin Thompson was heading to work. As she drove her Lexus onto Fairfax County Parkway from Chain Bridge Road, a buck ran into the street. Thompson stepped on the brakes, but it was too late.

After a string of outbreaks and recalls in the past three years related to salmonella, E. coli and listeria contamination in food products ranging from fresh spinach and peanuts to organic tahini, legislation that would strengthen the regulatory powers of the Food and Drug Administration could be enacted as early as January of next year.

Dr. Charlotte Barbey-Morel still remembers one pregnant teen infected with HIV.

"She ran away when she was pregnant; she felt bad, so she stopped taking her meds ... we were all spastic about everything," she said.

Barbey-Morel, chief of the pediatric infectious disease services at Georgetown University Hospital, works in the pediatric AIDS ward. Every day she speaks to mothers, many of whom are black and under the age of 18.

Thanksgiving is not a holiday you’d expect to be popular among vegetarian­­­­­­­­s. It’s not that vegetarians don’t have reasons to be thankful, but what can they eat? For many, Thanksgiving is a day to check diets at the door and chow down on as much turkey, ham and gravy as possible.

The swine flu might not only endanger your health, but your rights as well, some say.
 
With President Obama declaring swine flu a national emergency and anxiety rising over a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine, some health care providers and constitutional law experts worry that state governments’ response could potentially threaten individual rights.
 
Experts shared those concerns at a panel discussion sponsored by the Center for Health and Homeland Security and the Constitution Project.