By Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed an amendment that would impose a federal ban on vaping or e-cigarettes on all airlines in the U.S..  Congressman Duncan Hunter, who took over $10,000 in tobacco industry campaign contributions this election cycle, opposed the amendment–even lighting up during the hearing and puffing a cloud of vapor to make his point.

East County News Service

February 15, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Magazine, in conjunction with California Health Network, a local nonprofit, is expanding our health and fitness section to promote health awareness to East County residents. This is a great opportunity for you to promote your business to our 150,000 readers and help educate the public on important and potentially life-saving health issues.       

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

February 15, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- February is American Heart Month and Cardiovascular Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with one in three deaths caused by heart disease and stroke, reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. These conditions are also leading causes of disability, preventing people from working, enjoying family activities and living normal lives.

Source: USA.gov

February 11, 2016 (Washington D.C.) -- The greeting card aisle crams with shoppers, struggling to find the right sentiment. Buyers line up at the register with heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, and keep florists busy juggling orders for beautiful bouquets. It’s all part of the excitement and romance of Valentine’s Day. But for someone who’s recovering from sexual assault or living with domestic violence, all of the cards and roses in the world can’t make up for the pain.

If you want to support a friend in this difficult situation, or if you need support yourself, USAGov has gathered these resources to help:

February 10, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• What’s the best way to keep mosquitoes from biting? (NPR)
• State Of Emergency On Hawaii's Big Island Over Dengue Fever Outbreak (NPR)
• Can fish help stop spread of Zika virus? (BBC)
• Colombia: 3,177 pregnant women with Zika; no microcephaly (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Just what the doctor ordered: connectivity (U-T)
• Mosquito Blight (Snopes)
• No Comment From Grinning Martin Shkreli At House Hearing On Drug Prices (NPR)
• Scientists Discover A Second Bacterium That Causes Lyme Disease (NPR)
• Liver tissue bioprinted from stem cells (U-T)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• France is paving more than 600 miles of road with solar (Smithsonian)
• Twitter Says It Has Shut Down 125,000 Terrorism-Related Accounts (NPR)
• Bayer rejects EPA request to pull insecticide from U.S. market (Reuters)
• Humans have a hand in spreading bee virus, scientists say. Is it too late? (CS Monitor)
• One statistic shows just how dramatically our electricity system is changing (Washington Post)
• Ship noise linked to orca whale decline: Are some boats safer than others? (CS Monitor)
• Earthquakes May Have More Reach Than Previously Thought (KPBS)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

East County News Service

February 4, 2016 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced recalls of several consumer products.  Click the links below for details:

East County News Service

February 3, 2016 (San Diego) -- A 62-year-old man is the first person under the age of 65 to die from influenza in the San Diego region this season, the County Health and Human Services Agency reported today.

East County News Service

February 2, 2016 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is seeking applicants for two scholarship programs for nursing students and students pursuing careers as medical health technicians. Deadline to receive applications for both scholarship programs is 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Applicants for both scholarships must reside within the boundaries of GHD for a minimum of one year, or have graduated from a high school located within the district’s boundaries. Previous recipients of both of these GHD scholarships are not eligible to reapply. For more information and to obtain the criteria and applications for both scholarships, visitwww.grossmonthealthcare.org/operations/scholarship-programs.

By Miriam Raftery

February 2, 2016 (Washington D.C.) - A battle is looming on Capitol Hill over who will be the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

Source: County News Service

January 29, 2016 (Lemon Grove) -- They come from a variety of backgrounds and each has different challenges, but for one hour a week in the Lemon Grove Library, a group of special needs adults all have one thing in common: their enthusiasm.

East County News Service

January 27, 2016 (San Diego) –  E-cigarettes have been touted by manufacturers as less dangerous than cigarettes known to cause serious long-term health risks. But now a new study by San Diego researchers reveals that among other hazardous effects of vaping, exposure to e-cigarette vapor dramatically raises the risk of death from “superbugs.”

January 25, 2016 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

·         ‘Miraculous’ results from new MS therapy (Telegraph)

·         More Hospitals Are Ditching Antibiotics In The Meat They Serve (NPR)

·         CDC issues guidelines for pregnant women during Zika outbreak (Reuters)

·         Has The World Learned The Wrong Lessons From The Ebola Outbreak? (NPR)

·         U.S. government suspends enrollment in Cigna Medicare Advantage, drug plans

·         Young People Surprised By Risky Synthetic Drugs They Considered Safe (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

·         A 'Scorcher': 2015 Shatters Record As Warmest Year, NASA And NOAA Say (NPR)

·         Batteries With A Less Fiery Future (NPR)

·         Scientists Find Hints Of A Giant, Hidden Planet In Our Solar System (NPR)

·         Hawking: Threats to human survival likely from new science (AP)

·         Fighting Global Censorship, ProPublica Joins the Dark Web (Reason)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

East County News Service

January 22, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) — Residents in San Diego’s East County have raised fears of spreading Valley Fever spores in their arguments against projects ranging from a sand mine in Lakeside to solar projects in Boulevard and Jacumba.  Now a jury in Northern California has shown just how expensive a verdict might be for a government entity or company that ignores such risks.

Hear our interview with Steve Lauria, California Health Network, on Santee's Health Awareness Month (originally aired on KNSJ radio):

http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/pvv1xj39d8/Newsmakers-SteveLauriaSanteeHealthMonth-CAHealthNetwk.mp3

By Steve Lauria

January 20, 2016 (Santee) -- At the end of December, we ran a story on January being Health Awareness Month in Santee. With the month halfway over, here is an update: more than 30 organizations have offered a free or discounted service to the citizens of Santee, for the month of January. The specials can be found here:

www.californiahealthnetwork.org/healthawarenessmonth.

Some organizations, such as Volunteers in Medicine, offer free service, year around to people who can’t afford medical service.Many organizations are offering free services, such as personal training sessions, chiropractic exams,  exercise classes, dance classes and more.

By Mike Allen

January 18, 2016 (Santee)--Santee’s City Council has voted to amend an earlier ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, adding the explicit prohibition of cultivating and delivering weed within the city.

The city already prohibited the sale of weed dating to 2009, and has never allowed the activity, but a recent slate of regulations adopted by the state and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in October has prompted many cities to pass additional laws ensuring that the cities maintain local control.

The vote on Jan. 13 was 5-0, although one council member said the city should take another look at the issue especially in light of the money the city is spending to enforce the ban.