Health
- Details
- Written by: Jan Cook
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lindsey Termini, a communicable disease registered nurse with the Mendocino County Public Health Department, will present a free class on “5 Steps for Diabetes Prevention and Management” at the Lakeport branch of Lake County Library on Friday, June 22.
The class will begin at 10 a.m. at the library, located at 1425 N. High St.
The library invites the public to learn more about simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference in one’s health.
The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The action was filed in Alameda County and jointly prosecuted by the Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Marin, Monterey, Alameda, Orange, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and Shasta County District Attorneys and the California Attorney General’s Office.
Testing revealed that these formulas exceed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provisional daily intake levels for children under six, and cause lead exposures between 13 and 15 times the maximum allowable dose level under California law.
The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County on June 7, alleges that the companies’ toddler formula products are “adulterated” within the meaning of California and Federal standards, that their sale constitutes an Unfair Business Practice, and that the sale of the products violated Proposition 65, the state law that requires warnings prior to exposing individuals to harmful chemicals.
The lawsuit also alleges that representations of the products as “pure” and “clean,” were false and misleading.
The products are Peaceful Planet Toddler Supreme and Sammy’s Milk Free-Range Goat Milk Toddler Formula.
The lawsuit alleges that both the Peaceful Planet Toddler Supreme and Sammy’s Milk Free-Range Goat Milk Toddler Formula are “adulterated” and should not be sold in California because they expose toddlers to lead levels in amounts that exceed the FDA’s Provisional Total Tolerable Intake Level for children. Sales of these two products therefore constitute an unfair business practice under California’s Unfair Competition Law.
In addition, Proposition 65, approved by California voters in 1986, protects the public health by requiring businesses to warn consumers if they expose them to toxic chemicals, including lead.
The lawsuit alleges that the two products cause exposures that exceed the threshold warning levels for lead under Proposition 65, and that the companies failed to warn consumers that these products would expose their children to lead.
District Attorney Allison Haley said, “Nothing is more important to our community than the health and safety of children. Napa County is joining this suit to ensure that infant formula is safe from lead and other harmful ingredients.”
- Details
- Written by: California Attorney General's Office
The grants to 71 local entities throughout the state will fund operations, retailer training programs, the installation of signage, youth outreach, tobacco retail license inspections, training for sworn personnel and other activities.
"Tobacco remains a very serious public health concern,” said Attorney General Becerra. “These grants will provide additional tools to law enforcement to help educate kids about the dangers of smoking. The grants will also help local communities enforce laws against selling tobacco products to minors. These grants are an important step toward reducing illegal sales and building a healthier California.”
Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016, was approved by voters in November 2016.
Effective April 2017, it raised the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with an equivalent increase on other tobacco products.
Prop. 56 specifically allocates $30 million of revenue to be distributed annually by the California Department of Justice to local law enforcement agencies for the support and hiring of peace officers for various activities, including investigations intended to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors.
This year’s Prop. 56 grant recipients will use the state dollars to fund different anti-smoking campaigns and projects including new training and educational materials for officers and tobacco sellers to reduce illegal sales of tobacco products to minors, and law enforcement operations targeted at retailers selling to minors.
The recipients are among different cities, counties, school districts and sheriff/police departments click here to see grant recipients.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), patients cannot be denied health coverage based on a pre-existing condition.
This profound advancement for consumers has also provided an opportunity for dishonest providers to take advantage of sick people by enrolling them in commercial coverage to maximize high reimbursement rates for services.
This coverage is not always in the best interest of the patient, can result in higher out-of-pocket costs or disruption in care, and is being imposed upon consumers even though these patients are eligible for public coverage like Medicare or Medi-Cal.
“SB 1156 protects patients by making sure that financially interested third parties pay premiums for the full plan year, even if the patient stops treatments that benefit the provider so that the patient does not lose health care coverage mid-year,” Sen. Leyva noted.
“This measure simply requires that provider-funded organizations follow disclosure requirements and certify that consumers do not have better available options open to them,” Levya said. “These providers have a right to make a profit, but not when those financial interests can hurt patients or even keep them from receiving the care they need. I appreciate my Senate colleagues supporting this common sense measure that creates safeguards for patients so that they are not caught up in schemes where they may lose their health insurance and which can ultimately raise premiums for other Californians.”
Now proceeding to the California State Assembly for consideration, SB 1156 is supported by America’s Health Insurance Plans, Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies, Blue Shield of California, California Association of Health Plans, California Association of Health Underwriters, California Labor Federation, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California and SEIU California.