mental health in the headlines
Week of June 30, 2008
Mental Health America' Mental Health in the Headlines offers summaries of the latest news and views in the mental health field. Coverage of news items in this publication does not represent Mental Health America' support for or opposition to the stories summarized or the views they express. For information on Mental Health America' initiatives and policy positions, visit our website at www.mentalhealthamerica.net.
Mental Health America is the new name of the National Mental Health Association. For more information, visit our new website at www.mentalhealthamerica.net.
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*DID YOU KNOW?
Decline in teen smoking rate stalls….More
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*TODAY´S NEWS
House Passes Bill to Reverse Court Disability Decisions
The House of Representatives passed legislation 402-17 last week to expand protections for people with disabilities and reverse Supreme Court decisions issued over the last decade. The legislation eases current standards set by the court so more physical and mental conditions are covered. It states that a disability shouldn’t be determined by whether medication and other “mitigating measures” are available. Supporters of the bill, which include business groups and disability rights advocates, said the legislation would provide protections originally intended when the Americans with Disabilities Act was first passed. (Dow Jones Newswires, 6/25/08)
President Signs Bill That Reverses Medicaid Regs, Provides Vet Education Benefits
President Bush signed into law Monday legislation that places a moratorium on six Medicaid regulations proposed by the administration and increases veterans’ education benefits to the tune of $63 billion during the next 11 years. The bill also provides $162 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (The Associated Press, 6/30/08)
‘Boot Camp’ Standards Bill Clears House
A bill approved by the House of Representatives last week would set national standards for juvenile justice boot camps and other, similar private and public programs. The bill, the introduction of which was prompted by reports of physical abuse and deaths at the camps, would bar excessive practices such as withholding water, food and clothing, and would require all staff to receive training as to what is considered abuse. The Department of Health and Human Services would have the authority to impose fines of up to $50,000 for each violation of the law. The Senate hasn’t considered the bill yet; the White House expressed opposition to it. (USA Today/The Associated Press, 6/25/08)
Report Concludes Public Efforts Can Help Latinos Overcome Obstacles to Healthcare
Although access to physical health care by people who are Latino in Montgomery County, Md., is difficult, the obstacles to mental health care and substance abuse treatment are even more difficult to overcome, a report released by the county’s Latino Health Initiative concludes. The primary obstacles include language barriers and, among people who are in the United States illegally, deportation. Some county initiatives have been successful in helping the county’s estimated 128,000 Latinos, including efforts to make sure that foreign-born, Latino nurses can become licensed in the United States and campaigns to educate Latinos about what services are available to them. (The Washington Post, 6/26/08)
Latest Research
Decline in Teen Smoking Rate Stalls: Although the teenage smoking rate fell between 1999 and 2003, the rate plateaued during the past five years at about 22 percent, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last week. The rate stopped falling due to the loss of state funding for public education programs and new efforts by tobacco companies to recruit new customers, the CDC’s Terry Pechacek said. (The Washington Post, 6/29/08)
Adults, Parents Significant Source of Alcohol Access to Underaged: More than 40 percent of the nation’s 10.8 million underage teen and adult drinkers get their alcohol from adults who can legally buy alcohol, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported last week. Of those, 650,000 received alcohol from their parents and guardians, according to the report. About 7 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds reported using alcohol, compared with 51.3 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds. (Reuters, 2/26/08)
Number of People Who Don’t See a Physician Due to Costs Increases: The number of Americans who put off seeing a physician primarily because they couldn’t afford it rose from one in seven in 2003 to one in five last year, the Center for Studying Health System Change reported last week. (WSJ.com, 6/26/08)
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MentaMental Health in the Headlines is produced weekly by the Mental Health America. Mental Health America´s Mental Health in the Headlines staff: Ken Chamberlain, writer and editor; Holly Seltzer, senior editor; and Bridget Toland, media and publications assistant. Other staff include Julio Fonseca, director of training for Healthcare Reform, and Heather Cobb, senior director of Media Relations.
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