Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of articles published in the last 7-10 days that may be of interest:

Health
1. Public health program urges smokers in KY city to switch from cigarettes to smokeless tobacco; Washington Post, October 28,2011
Brief introduction: The James Graham Brown Cancer Center and the University of Louisville are aiming their “Switch and Quit” campaign at the city of Owensboro. It uses print, radio, billboard and other advertising to urge smokers to swap their cigarettes for smokeless tobacco and other products that do not deliver nicotine by smoke.

2. 11,000 may rejoin state's Basic Health plan; The Seattle Times, October 26,2011
Brief introduction: About 11,000 people who were kicked off the state's Basic Health insurance program for the working poor in March because of their immigration status will be allowed to re-enroll after a federal court judge said the state likely had violated their constitutional equal-protection rights.

Education
1. Colorado faces nation's only statewide tax vote to raise taxes for Education; Huffington Post, October 30, 2011
Brief introduction: The nation's only statewide tax vote on the November ballot asks Colorado voters whether they want to temporarily raise taxes to generate $3 billion for classrooms and colleges – a proposal that has stirred fierce opposition because of the stagnant economy.

2. Higher education costs continue to soar; CBS News.com, October 26, 2011
Brief introduction: The College Board says average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose an additional $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, from a year ago. Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high. With room and board, the average list price for a state school now runs more than $17,000 a year.

Race
1. Report shows African-American, low-income children in California at highest risk of secondhand smoke; Scope, October 28,2011
Brief introduction: Although smoking rates in California have steadily declined since 1998, nearly 2.5 million children in the state are still at risk of secondhand smoke, according to a recent report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

2. Miscommunication about asthma leaves Latinos gasping for answers; Fox News Latino, October 27, 2011
Brief introduction: Miscommunication, more than unhealthy lifestyles, are contributing to high rates of the respiratory condition among Hispanics, the American Lung Association said earlier this month.