Anna Maria Barry-Jester

Author's posts

Camouflaged Vaping Devices Are Hoodwinking Parents And Schools

The vaping hoodie. The vaping watch. The vaping phone case. Each ready to deliver a puff of nicotine (or marijuana) anywhere, anytime. The vaping market is crowded with sleek, camouflaged devices that have teachers and parents struggling to monitor illicit usage of a product that has surged in popularity among high schoolers.

Juul Hires Leading Teen Addiction Researcher As Medical Director

Dr. Mark Rubinstein, known for his research into youth vaping, has left UCSF to become executive medical officer at Juul Labs, the nation’s leading producer of e-cigarettes. Juul says the hire will help them reduce teen vaping. Critics see Big Tobacco tactics.

As Temperatures Climb, A New Push To Keep Workers Safe

Over the past decade, more than 350 workers nationwide have died from heat-related illness, and tens of thousands have had heat-related problems serious enough that they missed at least one day of work. Proposed federal legislation, modeled on California regulations, would create the first national standards for protecting workers from heat-related stress.

California Vaccine Bill Amended To Appease Governor

In the wake of concerns from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Medical Board of California, a state senator on Tuesday unveiled significant amendments to his bill to tighten vaccine requirements. A hearing on the measure is likely to draw hundreds of people to the state Capitol on Thursday.

A Proposal To Make It Harder For Kids To Skip Vaccines Gives Powerful Voices Pause

California lawmakers are debating whether to tighten the rules on childhood vaccinations and give the ultimate say to state public health officials. But questions are emerging from unexpected quarters: the state medical board and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Heat And Violence Pose Twin Threats For Asylum-Seekers Waiting At Border

For Central American migrants who follow U.S. government rules for pursuing asylum, conditions on the Mexican side of the border are sweltering, filled with anxiety and illness. Few people have a clear timetable for when it will get any better.

On The Border, Volunteer Doctors Struggle To Provide Stopgap Care To Immigrants

As recent arrivals are released from detention with severe medical problems ranging from diarrhea to gaping wounds, a makeshift health system of volunteers is overwhelmed. The work is taking a financial and emotional toll.

Makeshift Volunteer Clinics Struggle To Meet Medical Needs At The Border

As recent arrivals to the U.S. are released from detention with health problems ranging from diarrhea to gaping wounds, doctors who are trying to help, with little federal support, feel the strain.

Nonprofit Dental Insurer Under Scrutiny For ‘Flagrant’ Spending

Delta Dental of California, with more than 36 million enrollees across the country, is looking to buy a stake in a for-profit insurance company based in Oregon. Consumer advocates are calling on regulators to scrutinize the transaction, arguing that it is just the latest questionable move by the nonprofit dental insurer whose corporate practices may be out of step with its tax-exempt status.