The most direct link between climate change and public health in Maine can be found between warming temperatures and heat-related illnesses and diseases spread by ticks that no longer die off in winter.
Health
Maine’s health department rarely investigates when residents wander away from care facilities
Elopement – when a resident wanders out of a care home – is a real risk, particularly for people with dementia. But in the vast majority of cases, the facilities are never inspected and rarely sanctioned.
Mills appoints longtime deputy as acting commissioner of DHHS
Sara Gagné-Holmes, who has been number 2 at the Department of Health and Human Services for 5 years, has been named acting commissioner to replace Jeanne Lambrew.
Louisiana Legislature approves bill classifying abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances
Louisiana currently has a near-total abortion ban in place, applying both to surgical and medical abortions.
Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in U.S., new study says
New research suggests that daily and near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of high-frequency alcohol consumption in the United States.
Trump says he is open to restrictions on contraception, then backpedals
This is the first time Donald Trump has suggested he would have a policy on contraception since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a national right to abortion 2 years ago.
U.S. pediatricians reverse decades-old advice against HIV-positive mothers breastfeeding
But parents must breastfeed exclusively for the babies’ first 6 months because research shows that switching between breast milk and formula can disrupt an infant’s gut.
As demand to insure pets grows in Maine, employers are starting to offer coverage
Maine companies don’t contribute to expenses, but some offer group coverage plans. Many in the veterinary industry, where prices keep rising, say it’s worth the cost.
Bernie Sanders speaks at UNE graduation, says U.S. health care system is broken
America spends more than other countries, yet millions of people are uninsured and underserved, the senator from Vermont said during his remarks at Saturday’s commencement.
Maine is playing ‘catch-up’ to prepare for health impacts of climate change
That’s the message the Maine Climate Council hears during the first of 3 scientific briefings geared toward updating the state’s climate action plan by the end of the year.