Hepatitis :: HCV and HBV spreading more slowly among injection drug users in San Francisco

Injection drug users are still at a very high risk of acquiring hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B (HBV); however, needle-sharing is less common, and users do not become infected as quickly as they did in the past, according to a new study in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

Smoking :: Girls who begin dieting twice as likely to start smoking

Starting to diet seems to double the odds a teenage girl will begin smoking, a University of Florida study has found. UF researchers, who analyzed the dieting and smoking practices of 8,000 adolescents, did not find the same link in boys, who were also less likely than girls to diet, according to findings released Friday in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Smoking :: Get ready for a smoke free Houston

The City of Houston is taking action to protect Houstonians from the substantial health risks associated with secondhand smoke. The City Council has passed an ordinance that will make all workplaces and public spaces smoke free starting September 1, 2007.

Drug Abuse :: Mailman School of Public Health study examines link between racial discrimination and substance use

In one of the first studies to focus on the relationship between racial discrimination and health risk behaviors, researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health with colleagues from the Universities of Minnesota, Alabama (Birmingham), and California (San Francisco), and Harvard University found African-Americans experiencing racial discrimination were more likely to report current tobacco use or recent alcohol consumption and lifetime use of marijuana and cocaine.

Breast Cancer :: Robin Roberts of Good Morning America detected lump during a breast self exam

Robin Roberts of Good Morning America detected a lump in her breasts during a breast self-exam, and she revealed this in her writing on the ABC Television Web site, and later oncology doctors confirmed the breast cancer diagnosis. Roberts also urged everyone to pay attention to their health. ?I can’t stress enough how important it is to get screened and checked for all cancers ? and to do self breast exams,? Roberts wrote.