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This article on tobacco use from ABC News discusses a study that showed tobacco use in high schools is dropping, but is rising in middle schools. About 6.6% of middle schoolers reported using a tobacco product in the past 30 days, and 2.5% used multiple. E-cigarettes are the most used tobacco products among preteens and teens. This pertains to teaching health because tobacco use is a risk to your health and is something students will be introduced to at a much younger age than they should be. Teaching students about the risk factors of tobacco use and the gateway to drugs at a young age is crucial in helping prevent a new generation of smokers. When students are starting younger and younger, the time for intervention becomes even younger than you'd imagine. This can be addressed in the classroom by the teacher discussing what tobacco is and how it is harmful to your health. Allow a safe space for questions because students will have them, and it is better for them to get an informed answer from a teacher than an incorrect one from google or a friend. It is essential for teachers to be informed on this topic because as much as you don't want to believe it, tobacco use is happening in your schools, and as the starting age gets younger, this could be prevalent in elementary classrooms as well.

Kekatos, M. (2023, November 2). Tobacco use falls among high school students, but is rising among middle schoolers: Study. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/tobacco-falls-high-school-students-rising-middle-schoolers/story?id=104569270

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Tobacco use falls among high school students, but is rising among middle schoolers: Study

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A new study from the CDC and FDA found that, in 2023, tobacco use fell among high school students but was on the rise among middle schoolers.

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This article on Halloween candy from CNN discusses candy and children's health. Worrying about sugar intake is something most parents are concerned about, but restricting children's access to their Halloween candy can cause an unhealthy obsession with food, overvaluing candy, or binge disorders. Experts aren't telling parents to let their kids go crazy, but the key to a healthy relationship with food is balance, and sugar is within that balance. Watching how you talk about food around kids, especially candy is very important. Understanding relationships with food's impact on mental health is crucial when having conversations in the classroom as well. This pertains to teaching health because food groups and diet is a part of everyone's curriculum at some point, and knowing the proper ways to discuss this is important. Teacher's shouldn't refer to sweets and sugars as "junk" because sugar is something we all eat and need. Discussing how to eat sugars with a balanced diet is better. It is essential for teachers to be informed on this topic because many people see discussing healthy eating as physical health, but the effect it could have on mental health is equally as important.

Holcombe, M. (2023, October 31). Should you let Halloween be a candy free-for-all? maybe, experts say. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/21/health/halloween-candy-diet-culture-parenting-wellness/index.html

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Should you let Halloween be a candy free-for-all? Maybe, experts say | CNN

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Whether it's concern over a sugar rush, weight gain or loss of control, a giant bag of candy on Halloween can give some parents anxiety. But controlling kids' candy supply too tightly may backfire and lead to unintended consequences, experts say.

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This article on gen z's mental health from CNN discusses how gen z is struggling more than millennials. Gen z is approximately ages 12-26, which includes our school aged children. A study showed that only about 47% of gen z Americans feel that they are thriving. Compared to other generations, gen z is more likely to report having mental health problems. This topic can be addressed in classrooms by discussing emotions with your students and creating a safe environment for them to share them. Being able to have an open conversation about mental health in school helps avoid the feeling of the topic being taboo, as it has felt in the past. It is important for teachers to be educated on this topic because you never know which of your students is struggling, and being able to provide them with a safe space and the proper resources can save a life.

Shoichet, C. E. (2023, September 14). Is gen Z thriving? not so much, according to a new study. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/14/health/gen-z-mental-health-gallup-wellness-cec/index.html

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Is Gen Z thriving? Not so much, according to a new study | CNN

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A smaller share of Gen Z is thriving compared to millennials at the same age, and members of Gen Z are far less likely to describe their mental health as "excellent," according to a new study.

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This article on strep throat from CNN discusses the concerning increase in strep throat recently. More healthy adults and children than ever are being diagnosed with strep throat, and the medicine to treat strep is in a shortage currently. As strep is highly contagious, it can spread around classrooms like wildfire. This topic can be discussed in classrooms by teaching about the importance of hygiene and how to prevent the spread of illnesses. Teaching your students proper hand washing techniques, covering their mouth when the cough, and vocalizing when they don't feel well can help students prevent the spread of illness and help keep themselves and classmates safe. It is important for teachers to be informed on this topic so they know what to look for in their classroom health wise, know when to sanitize more during cold and flu season, and when to have these health discussions with their students.

NBCUniversal News Group. (2023, October 28). Strep throat rising, some hospitals report. what to know about the fall uptick. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/strep-throat-covid-fall-illness-what-know-rcna122152

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Strep throat is surging among children in some pockets of the country, raising concerns that a shortage of antibiotics to treat it could worsen as the nation heads into winter.

An unprecedented number of otherwise healthy adults and children are coming into the emergency room at Henry Ford Medical Center - Fairlane in Dearborn, Michigan, sick with strep, said Dr. Jennifer Stevenson, the head of the emergency department.

"I've been practicing emergency medicine for 25 years, and I have not seen strep throat as frequently as I have in these past six or eight months," Stevenson said.

In fact, strep has been the second most common diagnosis in Stevenson's emergency department since March, following chest pain. Many of the patients also had Covid.

The bacterial illness, marked by painful, scratchy throats and high fevers, has been rising for months in parts of the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast, as well.

We are "absolutely seeing a significant increase in strep" that began over the summer, said Dr. Thomas Lacy, the division chief for Nemours Children's Primary Care. The Nemours system includes children's hospitals and dozens of pediatricians in Delaware, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Why is strep bad right now?

Cases of invasive strep A - a similar type of bacterium that also causes scarlet fever and impetigo - have been increasingly diagnosed over the past decade, but it's the common form of the illness that's affecting children in hospitals right now, Stevenson and Lacy said.

It's unclear why strep is making a strong comeback this year, though the Covid pandemic did disrupt the typical cadence of seasonal illnesses, such as RSV and the flu.

Lacy said his teams in Delaware and Pennsylvania have noted a 300% to 400% increase in strep throat since school began this fall compared to last year. In Florida, the number of strep cases is more than double what it was last year at this time.

"Strep is really zooming back," Lacy said.

Epic Research, which tracks electronic health records nationwide, has detected a steady increase in strep throat, particularly among kids ages 4 to 12, since the beginning of August. That includes diagnoses made in urgent care facilities and emergency departments and at pediatricians' offices.

Fortunately, the strep outbreak isn't everywhere. Some of the largest medical centers in the country reached by NBC News - including hospitals in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Seattle - are not seeing notable increases.

Doctors aren't usually required to report strep throat diagnoses to their local or state health departments, as they would be for other illnesses, such as Covid or measles, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 5 million outpatient visits each year are due to noninvasive group A strep.

After an unusually high spike in strep last year, current strep throat levels appear to be restoring to pre-pandemic proportions, according to the Epic data.

That's how it feels for Dr. Victoria Valencia, the interim director of the Health Center for Student Care at Tulane University in New Orleans. Valencia said her team saw an uptick in strep cases on campus right after the semester began this fall.

"Anecdotally, we're seeing similar numbers to what we saw in 2019 before the pandemic," Valencia said. "I don't feel inundated."

What are the symptoms of strep throat?

According to Stevenson and Valencia, most children who test positive for strep throat have:

Sore throat.

Extreme fatigue.

Fever that may spike up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit.

Children 12 and younger may also have:

Abdominal pain.

Nausea.

Vomiting.

Lymph nodes in the gut may become inflamed during a strep infection, causing pain in small children.

Tonsils may become so swollen that they stimulate kids' gag reflexes.

Sometimes, untreated strep infections can lead to complications, such as a kind of kidney disease.

A shortage in treatment

Strep throat is easily treatable with a widely used antibiotic called amoxicillin, Stevenson said. "Usually within about 24 hours of starting that antibiotic, the patient's going to feel a whole lot better," she said.

What's more, children are much less contagious after they start the antibiotic. If strep is left untreated, kids can continue to infect others for weeks, usually through respiratory droplets.

But the drug, especially the form given to young children, has been in short supply for a year, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

"This is a very difficult situation," Lacy said. "Spot shortages are forcing us to turn to different antibiotics, sometimes antibiotics that we would not have used" as first-line treatments.

While most pharmacies in Stevenson's area of Michigan have been able to stock the drug, "I expect that as we get into these cooler months, we're going to see more infections and parents are going to have a difficult time finding this medication for their kids."

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Strep throat is 'zooming back' in some areas of the country, doctors say

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Some children's hospitals report a "significant increase" in the bacterial infection as a widely used antibiotic that can stop the spread is in short supply.

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This article on sedentary time from CNN discusses the affects of sedentary time on the heart. With the advancements in technology, children are spending a lot more time online rather than being physically active. While technology can be a beneficial tool, physical activity is just as important. sedentary time in childhood can put them at risk for heart disease in the future. It is important for families and schools to emphasize the importance of physical activity in childhood. This topic can be addressed in health class, PE, or a combination of both. Doing a school steps challenge or just by increasing the amount of movement you include in the classroom can help teach students the importance of movement. It is important for teachers to be educated on this topic so they can stay informed on how to include physical activity into their everyday classroom and lessons.

Holcombe, M. (2023a, August 24). How to reverse the damage your kid’s sedentary time may have done to their heart. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/24/health/kids-sedentary-heart-disease-wellness/index.html

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How to reverse the damage your kid's sedentary time may have done to their heart | CNN

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Kids, particularly girls, who spend more time being sedentary later develop strong indicators of heart disease, a new study says. Experts share why kids should get moving.

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This article on banning the teachings about sexuality and gender identity in Florida schools from CBS News explains how the Florida government has a "Don't Say Gay" bill that bans the teachings of sexuality, gender, gender identity, and LGBTQIA+ in schools. This ban is very controversial, and pushes back all the hard work the LGBTQIA+ community has done for each other and acceptance. I don't agree with this ban, and believe this is something that should be discussed in schools. This topic can be discussed in health class when you would normally teach about gender. Teachers can hold an open forum for anonymous questions because some students might not feel comfortable asking them personally. Also emphasize to your students that you accept everyone, and that your class is a safe space for these discussions. It is important for teachers to be educated on this topic because you never know which of your students are struggling with this topic, and might not have a safe space anywhere besides your class to discuss it. You want to be an ally for your students, ever if you're their only one.

Mandler, C. (2023, April 20). Teaching about sexuality and gender identity is now banned in Florida public schools. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-public-schools-ban-teach-gender-identity-sexuality/

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The Florida Board of Education has expanded upon the state's existing "Don't Say Gay" legislation, banning on Wednesday the teaching of sexuality and gender identity in all Florida public schools.

Prior to today's decision, public school teachers and districts were barred from discussing gender identity and sexuality in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms.

Under the new rule, Florida public schools educators cannot "intentionally" instruct students in grades K-12 on sexual orientation or gender identity, with the exception being "unless such instruction is either expressly required by state academic standards...or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student's parent has the option to have his or her student not attend," CBS Miami reported.

The original "Don't Say Gay" expansion bills were proposed in March by the Republican administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who enacted the initial "Parental Rights in Education" law in the state over a year ago.

"Educators in Florida are expected to teach to the state academic standards. The topics of gender identity and sexual orientation have no place in the classroom, unless required by law," Alex Lanfranconi, the director of communications at the Florida Department of Education, told CBS News. "Today's State Board action reaffirms Florida's commitment to uphold parental rights and keep indoctrination out of our schools."

Criticism of the new law was quick, with the ACLU of Florida writing on Twitter, "It was never about schoolchildren. It is about erasure of LGBTQ+ people, their families, and their existence in Florida public schools."

It was never about schoolchildren.

It is about erasure of LGBTQ+ people, their families, and their existence in Florida public schools.

It is about erasure of the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ youth.

It is about erasure, but we can't be erased. https://t.co/z5h1xzYS0h
- ACLU of Florida (@ACLUFL) April 19, 2023

"The lust for government censorship is insatiable," tweeted LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, Equality Florida. "Shame on the DeSantis Administration for putting a target on the backs of LGBTQ Floridians."

Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a press release, "The Human Rights Campaign strongly condemns this form of dangerous, extremist politics. We will never stop fighting for LGBTQ+ Floridians, particularly transgender and non-binary children. They deserve better from their elected leaders, and they deserve to live full lives without fear."

"Don't Say Gay" legislation is also opposed by a plurality of Floridians surveyed with a 2022 study from the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida finding that 49% of respondents were against the passage of the original law.

It has also sparked an ongoing public feud between DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company, who opposed the passing of the "Parental Rights in Education" bill last year.

Trending News

C Mandler

First published on April 19, 2023 / 4:28 PM EDT

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Teaching about sexuality and gender identity is now banned in Florida public schools

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Prior to Wednesday's decision, discussions of gender identity and sexuality in kindergarten through 3rd grade were banned.

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This article about overdoses from NBC News discusses how we are in a "fourth wave" of the overdose epidemic. Overdose deaths went over 100,000 since 2021, and that is due to synthetic opioid fentanyl. Opioids are being laced with stimulants, such as cocaine, serving as a very deadly combo. This should be discussed in health class, especially with the DARE program. The effects of drugs should be discussed with students, because drugs don't discriminate, they will take the life of any age, gender, race, etc. Students need to be informed of the consequences of drugs at a young age, before it it too late and they are already involved. It is important for teachers to be informed on this topic so they know what signs to look for in their classrooms, and how they can help their students struggling with addiction. You never know who is struggling behind closed doors, so being educated and willing to have these discussions with students may just be what saves a student from being the next statistic.

Sullivan, K. (2023, September 14). Fentanyl plus stimulants drives “fourth wave” of overdose epidemic in the U.S. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fentanyl-stimulants-drives-fourth-wave-overdose-epidemic-us-rcna104953

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The U.S. is in the throes of what researchers have deemed a "fourth wave" of the opioid crisis, a phase characterized by overdose deaths caused by the combination of stimulants and the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Overdose deaths in the U.S. surpassed 100,000 for the first time in 2021, fueled by the rise of synthetic opioids, which accounted for 75% of those deaths. Once propelled by prescription opioids and then heroin, the decadeslong crisis was overwhelmed by synthetic opioids in the mid-2010s.

Now it has taken on a new challenge: so-called polysubstance overdoses, which include more than one drug.

The proportion of overdoses involving fentanyl and a stimulant - most commonly cocaine and methamphetamine - increased more than fiftyfold from 2010 to 2021, a study published Thursday in the journal Addiction found.

"The roots really did start with overprescribing prescription opioids, but now it is really characterized by stimulants and fentanyl," said Chelsea Shover, an assistant professor-in-residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who co-authored the study.

Shover and her team looked at death certificate data from all overdose deaths in the U.S. from 2010 to 2021. In 2010, just over half a percent of fentanyl overdose deaths, those of 235 people, involved stimulants. By 2021, nearly one-third of all fentanyl overdose deaths - those of more than 34,000 people - involved stimulants.

What stimulant was combined with fentanyl changed based on where people lived, the study found. By 2021, nearly all fentanyl-plus-stimulant overdoses in the Northeast involved cocaine. In the West and most of the Midwest, it was methamphetamine.

The trend began to take shape in 2015, when stimulants' involvement in fentanyl overdoses began to rise in virtually every state, starting what the researchers call the "fourth wave of the opioid epidemic."

"It's a moving target in the sense that the profile of what drugs or drug combinations are causing the most deaths has shifted every couple years in recent years," Shover said.

A proportion of the fentanyl-plus-stimulant overdoses may be due to the fact that fentanyl has now been found, often unexpectedly, in virtually every other type of illicit drug.

Shover thinks that in the majority of cases, the combined use was intentional. People have long combined stimulants and opioids, creating so-called speedballs of cocaine and heroin or goofballs of methamphetamine and heroin.

"But it's hard to tell with data, because you can't interview the data. And it's rare you have an actual substance that you can test," she said.

In the study, autopsy reports for people whose deaths were attributed to polysubstance overdoses noted significant amounts of both stimulants and fentanyl in their systems, but the data did not show whether the drugs were taken together or at different times.

"It doesn't distinguish between someone who used methamphetamine or cocaine in the morning and fentanyl in the afternoon and those who used them together and then overdosed," Shover said.

'A very dark tone'

Given the long trend of combining opioids and stimulants, "when fentanyl started to sweep the nation, it was ripe for combination," said Anna Childress, an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, who studies addiction medicine. Childress was not involved in the new study.

The difference now is that fentanyl is roughly 50 times more potent than heroin.

"The whole picture takes on a very dark tone," Childress said. "A little bit of fentanyl can easily kill someone who is primarily a stimulant user. Even people who are primary opioid users are dying left and right of fentanyl overdoses."

Fentanyl is a quick high, and combining it with a stimulant can extend feelings of euphoria, another reason people might intentionally use them together. Stimulants and opioids also have opposite effects on the body, which can lead people to use one to counteract the effects of the other, said Magdalena Cerdá, the director of the Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City.

"We do have effective medications to treat opioid use disorder, but that's not so much the case with stimulants," she said.

Narcan nasal spray, which can reverse an opioid overdose, became available over the counter this month. Methadone and buprenorphine are prescription treatments for opioid use disorder. But similar drugs do not exist for stimulants, making the combination more difficult to address than opioids alone.

One proven treatment for stimulant use disorder is called contingency management. The type of therapy awards small monetary incentives for making healthier choices - in this case, not using cocaine or methamphetamine. California introduced a pilot program for stimulant users last year, but the therapy is still "politically controversial," Shover said.

"You're paying people who use drugs, but it works well as far as treatment for stimulant disorder, and it's one of the cheaper options," she said.

Childress is part of a clinical trial testing whether an existing antipsychotic medication called cariprazine may also be able to curb stimulant cravings in people who use the drugs. Animal studies showed promise, and a clinical trial in humans, which includes people who both have opioid use disorder and use stimulants, is under review.

Researchers are trying to get a clearer picture of how the evolving overdose crisis is playing out across the country. This grasp will help public health experts better implement the best substance use disorder treatments and overdose prevention tools as things evolve.

Health officials started this year to warn of fentanyl laced with the animal tranquilizer xylazine - a combination dubbed "tranq dope." The Biden administration in July announced a plan to reduce deaths from the drug combination.

Still, "the predominant drug involved in overdoses is still fentanyl," Cerdá said. "Even though it's combined with other things, it's still very much an opioid-driven overdose problem."

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Fentanyl plus stimulants drives 'fourth wave' of overdose epidemic in the U.S.

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Overdoses from people taking both fentanyl and a stimulant, mainly cocaine or meth, have skyrocketed, ushering in what researchers are calling a fourth wave of the overdose epidemic.

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Safety and Preventing Unintentional Injury

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Safety and Preventing Unintentional Injury

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This article on firework safety from CNN discusses the dangers of fireworks, and how to prevent unintentional injuries from them. Children should never handle fireworks, even sparklers. Alcohol or drugs should never be used while handling firework, and all firework laws should be followed. You should only use fireworks you have the full directions and warnings of. This can be talked about in health class when discussing water, fire, car, etc safety. These are all common things that come with big risks. Teachers should inform students of the dangers of fireworks, how fire and explosions are involved, and how to talk about this with an adult at home. Teachers should be educated on this topic because many children like to "play" with fireworks because they look like a toy, so teachers can have this safety discussion with students before the summer break, when fireworks are mostly used.

Marples, M. (2023, July 4). Avoid a trip to the emergency room this July 4th with these firework safety tips. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/03/health/fireworks-safety-tips-wellness/index.html

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Avoid a trip to the emergency room this July 4th with these firework safety tips | CNN

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Around 10,200 people visited ER departments for fireworks injuries in 2022, and there were at least 11 reported deaths linked to fireworks last year. Follow these safety tips to avoid a trip to the emergency room this Independence Day.