Public Health

As Opioid Deaths Keep Rising, Report Urges Lawmakers to Develop New Approaches

Drug overdose rates in the U.S. have risen fivefold in the past two decades. A new report argues state lawmakers should view America’s staggering opioid crisis through an "ecosystems" approach.

  • By Ashley Murray, Maryland Matters

To Prevent Gun Suicide, States Consider Allowing People to Deny Themselves a Gun

“We can’t stop all suicide, but if we make the means less lethal, we can save lives.”

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

Schools Struggle With Lead in Water While Awaiting Federal Relief

President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address that federal funds will pay to replace lead pipes in hundreds of thousands of schools and child care centers. In the meantime, schools are dealing with high lead levels now.

  • By Katheryn Houghton, Kaiser Health News

States Strive to Help SNAP Recipients Cope With Lower Benefits

More than 41 million people bought food with SNAP benefits last year.

  • By Marsha Mercer, Stateline

Which State You Live in Matters for How Well Environmental Laws Protect Your Health

COMMENTARY | An environmental health lawyer explains why some states have weaker rules than others, and how you can make your concerns heard.

  • By Susan Kaplan, The Conversation

VR Map Tracks ‘Silent Killer’ of Extreme Heat

A 3-D map of Washington, D.C., overlaid with temperature data illustrates urban heat islands and shows neighborhoods that are most at risk.

  • By Chris Teale

Amid Dire Suicide Rates in Montana, Governor Expands Student Mental Health Screening

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte announced a $2.1 million grant using federal aid after state lawmakers rejected a bill that would have essentially addressed the same needs of young people at risk of suicide.

  • By Keely Larson, Kaiser Health News

Neighborhood 'Walkability' May Boost Exercise, Lower BMI

People who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to exercise and have lower BMIs. But the finding differs by race and ethnicity.

  • By Boston University, Futurity

Urban Heat Map Reveals Priority Spots for Cooling Efforts

Citizen scientists in Milwaukee collected air temperature and humidity data to help state officials focus where heat prevention efforts are most needed.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Dollar Stores Are the Fastest Growing Food Stores in the U.S.

Dollar stores are now the fastest-growing food retailers in the contiguous United States—and have doubled their share in rural areas, according to a new study.

  • By Kara Baskin for Tufts University, Futurity

Cheap Sewer Pipe Repairs Can Push Toxic Fumes Into Homes, Schools

COMMENTARY | Here’s how to lower the risk.

  • By Andrew J. Whelton, The Conversation

States at Center of Battle Over Gas Furnaces and Stoves

Moved by environmental and health concerns, action by state officials to ban natural gas in buildings is heating up. But the plans are also sparking opposition.

  • By Daniel C. Vock
Featured eBooks
Road and Transit Infrastructure Trends
Federal Recovery Funds at the State and Local Level
Infrastructure at a Turning Point

After Years of Legal Action from States, 3M Will Stop Making ‘Forever Chemicals’

Legal experts estimate future PFAS litigation could cost the company more than $30 billion.

  • By John McCracken and Joseph Winters, Grist

New York City Agencies to Involuntarily Admit More Severely Mentally Ill People for Evaluations

Mayor Eric Adams clarified that people do not have to be a danger to themselves or others to receive help.

  • By Sahalie Donaldson

Working in Extreme Heat is Risky for Pregnant Workers. Advocates Say Passing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Could Help

But time is running out to pass the legislation before the new congressional term starts.

  • By Jessica Kutz  , The 19th

America’s Massive Gap Providing Mental Health Services

Counties are pushing Congress to help fix the problem, which is especially bad in rural communities. But whether lawmakers will do so as part of upcoming budget legislation is unclear.

  • By Kery Murakami

Schools, Sheriffs, and Syringes: State Plans Vary for Spending $26B in Opioid Settlement Funds

The cash represents an unprecedented opportunity to derail the opioid epidemic, but with countless groups advocating for their share of the pie, the impact could depend heavily on geography and politics.

  • By Aneri Pattani, Kaiser Health News

Thousands of Experts Hired to Aid Public Health Departments Are Losing Their Jobs

As the Covid-19 pandemic raged, an independent nonprofit tied to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hired an army of seasoned professionals to fill the gaps in the country’s public health system. Now, the money has largely run out, and state and local health departments are again without their expertise.

  • By Lauren Weber, Kaiser Health News

The High Toll of Work on Mental Health and Its Hit to Productivity

New survey findings show that more than a third of workers say their jobs are a drag on their mental health, with government employees topping a list of those reporting ill effects.

  • By Molly Bolan

How a Vending Machine Prevents Drug Overdoses

About 600 lives have been saved by a machine in Ohio that stocks overdose treatments and other harm reduction tools, according to a health nonprofit.

  • By Molly Bolan

Who Sees What You Flush? Wastewater Surveillance for Public Health is on the Rise

COMMENTARY | But a new survey reveals many U.S. adults are still unaware.

  • By Rochelle H. Holm, The Conversation