Hidden by a pleasant scent: The health consequences of flavor in e-cigarettes

The Conversation – Welhong Lin and Rakala Kenney

Millions of Americans are vaping, and some are getting sick. Since June 2019, 2,711 have been hospitalized and 60 have died due to EVALI (e-cigarette-associated lung injury), the devastating lung disease linked to e-cigarettes. Five million users are middle and high school students. Some are as young as 11, although it’s illegal to sell vaping products to anyone under 21. Especially for kids, much of the lure is flavor. E-cigarettes offer attractive smells and tastes. Fruit, mint, candy and dessert flavors are the favorites, and studies suggest they ignite the desire to vape. That’s why the Trump administration just banned the sale of those sweet flavors from cartridge-based e-cigs, the delivery method most popular with teens.

https://theconversation.com/hidden-by-a-pleasant-scent-the-health-consequences-of-flavor-in-e-cigarettes-129318

How new nutrition proposal could impact school meals

The District Administration – Matt Zalaznick

The USDA, which has opened the rule up for public comment, said the proposal was driven by requests made over the past two years by school food services. “Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals,” Sonny Perdue, the agriculture secretary, said in a statement reported by The New York Times.

https://districtadministration.com/new-usda-proposal-impact-school-nutrition/

‘Technoference’: why we should be worried about parents’ screen time

The Conversation – Natalie Pearson

Many young people spend significantly more time using screens than is recommended by health professionals. Excessive screen time has been blamed for several ills, including obesity and poor mental health. To mitigate these negative effects, we need to understand the things that encourage children to spend lots of time in front of a screen. Children learn and develop their behaviour by watching others, especially their parents, and this includes screen use. In fact, the types of devices parents use and the length of time they use them for are the strongest predictors of their child’s screen use and screen time. Parents also control the availability of screens and technology and set the rules on their use.

https://theconversation.com/technoference-why-we-should-be-worried-about-parents-screen-time-130141

Is your child sleep deprived? Here’s how it can affect their development

NBC News – Kim Fitzsimons

Is your school-age child irritable or inattentive? Not doing well academically, or as well as he could be? What about weight? Is this an issue? If you answered yes to any of the above, it might help to know that the cause of these and other common concerns could be nothing more than a lack of sleep. And if that’s the case, there’s an obvious fix: more sleep. Unfortunately, many kids aren’t getting it says Hoi See Tsao, MD, FAAP, a pediatric emergency fellow at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, R.I.

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/your-child-sleep-deprived-here-s-how-it-can-affect-ncna1119376

More Exercise, More Sleep, Less Screens – New Recommendations for Kids’ Health

Cape Cod Today – Misha Yueng

When a child has healthy habits at a young age, their chances of growing up and maintaining good health are much higher. A recent set of recommendations issued by the World Health Organization offers evidence-based guidelines for parents. Here are some tips on how much exercise, sleep and screen time children of different age groups should have in order to be physically and mentally healthy.

http://capecodtoday.com/article/2020/01/27/251269-More-Exercise-More-Sleep-Less-Screens-New-Recommendations-Kids-Health