As health professionals and legislators work to address the increasing number of lung injuries related to vaping, doctors at West Virginia University say the time for patients to act is now. Dr. Sunil Sharma, WVU School of Medicine Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine section chief, says that current vapers may be able to prevent further injury by stopping, or at a minimum, altering their use of the product.
A West Virginia University water expert believes there is good news in this week’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announcement repealing the 2015 rule that expanded the definition of “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Jason Hubbart, director of the Institute of Water Security and Science at WVU, says the decision will put more control at the state level.
Censoring teen suicides in entertainment media like “13 Reasons Why” may do more harm than good, according to West Virginia University’s Elizabeth Cohen, an associate professor of communication studies. Cohen says the well-publicized study that linked the show to a subsequent suicide contagion was flawed and a “poor piece of evidence” that the show caused young adults to take their own lives.
A West Virginia University assistant professor wants to see the Mountain State increase women’s workforce participation, particularly women in substance use recovery. While Jenifer Gamble, field education director for West Virginia University’s School of Social Work, acknowledges great need, especially in light of the opioid crisis, she also sees the opportunity for improvement.
A West Virginia University law professor believes ‘red flag’ laws, if challenged in court, would be upheld. John Taylor, Jackson Kelly Professor of Law in the College of Law, calls the proposals being floated in the wake of the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton “compromise measures.”
The answer to preventing horrific mass shootings can’t be reduced to a single political issue, according to James Nolan, a West Virginia University sociology professor and former police officer who also worked for the FBI as a unit chief in the Crime Analysis, Research and Development Unit. Nolan says the focus should move from individuals’ behaviors to systemic change.
The news of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s passing provides an opportunity to reflect on her literary and cultural legacy, a West Virginia University women’s and gender studies expert says. The way Morrison “centered the complex lives of her black characters” is as pivotal as her acclaimed novels are, according to Lupe Davidson of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
A West Virginia University study of the state’s public schools found that more than 70 percent of teachers reported an increase in students affected by substance use. Teachers need more training and more resources to keep up with “A Crisis in the Classroom,” according to Frankie Tack, WVU Addiction Studies Minor Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor.
A West Virginia University health policy expert says The Washington Post analysis of targeted markets for opioid distribution sheds further light on the fact that substance use disorder has many causes and consequences. Accountability for addiction rests not only with the individual, but within the social and economic context that create an environment conducive to drug access and abuse, according to Chris Plein, professor of public administration.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that West Virginia has the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in the United States; also alarming, the state has a shortage of mental health professionals to provide treatment for people coping with addiction and recovery, according to West Virginia University expert Deanna Morrow.