Latest news with #MarkMcClellan
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Officials warn against eating fish from popular US lakes due to toxic contamination: 'I would have loved to have known that'
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is warning people to limit their consumption of locally caught fish from several popular lakes because of high levels of PFAS –– known as "forever chemicals" –– found there. CBS News Colorado reported on the problem. "I would have loved to have known that," said local Mark McClellan, who fishes regularly at Chatfield Reservoir. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of highly toxic chemicals contained in everyday products such as nonstick cookware, clothing, toiletries, and food packaging. They don't break down in the environment, so they accumulate over time, and they can accumulate in our bodies when we are exposed to them. People are exposed to PFAS when they consume contaminated food or water. The fish swimming in the Colorado lakes with high levels of PFAS absorb these chemicals, which is why officials are warning against consuming them. We can also be exposed by using products that contain PFAS and inhaling air that has been contaminated. Colorado Parks and Wildlife assisted with the study that determined the dangerous levels of chemicals in the fish and has placed signs at three bodies of water that detail the advisories so people can make informed decisions. PFAS have been linked to a variety of health problems, including cancer, fertility issues, and increased risks of asthma and thyroid disease. These chemicals have been detected in the bodies of 97% of Americans. They are so prevalent because they are used in so many industries, which leads to their release into our water supply, soil, and air. Some businesses are working to reduce the use of PFAS, creating policies to phase them out or eliminating them entirely. By staying informed and supporting companies that are taking steps to protect the environment and reduce their reliance on PFAS, we can reduce our exposure. Local lakegoer Israel Lopez was alarmed and told CBS News Colorado, "I didn't know there were all those chemicals out here in the water." Colorado Environmental Public Health Tracking has more information on consuming fish in the Centennial State. The state health department has not yet considered closing the lakes, stating, "Our focus is on providing people with information so they can enjoy all that Colorado has to offer while reducing their exposure to things that could have negative health effects." Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly Sometimes Not really I don't know enough about them Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
01-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Colorado health officials warn of fish contaminated with PFAS or "forever chemicals" in popular lakes
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is warning people to limit the number of locally caught fish they consume from popular Colorado lakes like Chatfield Reservoir in Littleton, Barr Lake near Brighton, and Runyon Lake near Pueblo. These lakes have all been flagged for high levels of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals." Colorado Parks and Wildlife assisted with the study of the chemical levels in fish and told CBS Colorado, it was "so anglers can make informed health decisions for their families," and that there will be signs detailing the advisories placed at the three bodies of water in the coming week. But that didn't help people who were out enjoying the water Saturday. "We ate one not that long ago. So, I would have loved to have known that, then I might have just thrown it back," said Mark McClellan, who frequently fishes at Chatfield Reservoir. Mark McClellan, who fishes at Chatfield Reservoir and often eats what he catches, says he'll reduce the amount of wild-caught fish he eats after findings from Colorado health officials about chemicals found in fishes at popular lakes throughout the state. CBS While some catch and release, McClellan says he typically eats what he catches, and was surprised to hear the fish in the water could contain forever chemicals, which, if exposed to long-term, can cause an increased risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases. According to the state health department's interactive map showing contamination in Colorado lakes, they advise the general public not to eat more than one serving a month of smallmouth bass from Chatfield Reservoir and two servings of walleye. "Walleye is probably the best-eating ones out of here, though," said McClellan. "So that's unfortunate, but I guess I need to limit it." Israel Lopez and his dad are also regulars at Chatfield. They don't typically eat the fish, but he was alarmed to find some were contaminated. "Kind of like, whoa," Lopez said. "I didn't know there were all those chemicals out here in the water." Israel Lopez was alarmed to learn about health warnings from Colorado officials about chemicals detected in fish in several popular lakes throughout the state. CBS Still, the information won't deter him from coming to Chatfield to fish and do what he loves. "Once you catch a fish, when you have them on, you just get this adrenaline rush," Lopez said. "Because you don't always know what you're going to bring up, you know what I mean, how big it is, how heavy. That's why I love it." When asked if they've considered closing any of the popular fishing spots, the state health department told CBS News Colorado, "our focus is on providing people with information so they can enjoy all that Colorado has to offer while reducing their exposure to things that could have negative health effects. The vast majority of our fish advisories don't recommend never eating the fish; instead they recommend limiting the amount of certain fish that you do eat."
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NC health program praised as administrators seek legislators' help to expand
Map of NC counties participating in the Healthy Opportunities Pilot. (Source: NC DHHS) North Carolina launched a program called Healthy Opportunities in 2022 in three mostly-rural regions of the state to see if providing food, transportation, housing, and other non-medical health-related needs for people who use Medicaid as their insurance would improve their physical health. The federal government, which approved the Healthy Opportunities Pilot during President Donald Trump's first administration, has given the state the green light to expand statewide. 'Too often non-medical factors like lack of access to healthy foods or inability to get to an in-person appointment seem to stand in the way of disease prevention and better primary care,' said Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy. 'This pilot has aimed to develop the infrastructure needed to enable these kinds of non-medical factors to be addressed, when they can help lower overall costs and improve health.' The state Department of Health and Human Services is hoping the legislature will support Healthy Opportunities' expansion. With budget season underway, Duke-Margolis hosted a video roundtable on the Health Opportunities Pilot where participants extolled the program not only for improving health, but for helping people recover from Helene, supporting small and medium-sized farms, and helping to reduce health care provider burnout. 'The question is, because of all the success we have had, how can North Carolina not afford to scale statewide?' said former DHHS secretary Kody Kinsley. 'We've got to continue to push forward because we need to control costs of health care broadly and upstream prevention is the clear answer,' he said. 'It's the win-win in driving down costs and improving health.' The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal office that oversees Medicaid, published an interim evaluation of Healthy Opportunities in November 2024. It said 11,809 people received the program's services between March 2022 and November 2023. Dr. Seth Berkowitz, an associate professor at the UNC School of Medicine, is leading the formal CMS evaluation. 'We found that the program reduces health-related social needs, so we see less food insecurity, less housing instability, things like that, when people participate in the program,' he said. The analysis reported a decline in emergency room visits that may be attributable to Healthy Opportunities. It estimated a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for adults. However, the estimated reductions in hospital admissions for pregnant individuals, and children and teenagers were not statistically significant. Hospital admissions for children three years old and younger were estimated to have increased. Considering health care costs in the 12 months before and the 12 months after enrollment in Healthy Opportunities, health care savings attributable to the program were $85 per person per month, according to the evaluation. The savings are coming from better health, not denying services, Berkowitz said. 'People still have access to all the same health care they've had before,' he said. 'A change in spending is really a strong indicator that people's health is improving and that is why we're seeing the need for health care spending go down.'
