Wellness & Well-being Highlights September 4

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of September 4, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics on a resurgence of miners’ Black Lung to how COVID may now be making a comeback to how a new study revealed that young, amateur athletes are posthumously being diagnosed with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). Today, I wish to shed some light on how you can help confront this nation’s opioid epidemic. NOTE: This coming week, Narcan will be available as an OTC (over-the-counter) drug in most pharmacies for about $45 per 2-pack. As noted below, a local library district is now providing free Narcan to the public. This is known as a harm reduction strategy. The fact is that you cannot save a dead person but you can help save one who is experiencing an opioid overdose. How? Know the signs, get trained (this takes less than 30 minutes), obtain doses of the free Narcan now available, and be prepared to act when necessary. The vast majority of us know someone close who either has OUD (opioid use disorder) or has died from an opioids overdose. Make no mistake, OUD is considered a disease…no different than diabetes or hypertension. Now is the time to act! Please insist that your workplace, place of worship, sport venue, etc. carry Narcan next to its First Aid kit and AED.

 

Sources: https://www.kmov.com/2023/08/30/st-louis-county-announce-partnership-with-libraries-effort-fight-opioid-epidemic/?outputType=amp

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/29/health/narcan-reverse-overdose.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

 

MH / Stigma / Construction

 

More on Black Lung

 

Preventing Post-Vacation Burnout

 

Stress/Anxiety Relief Products

 

Dealing w/ Anxiety

 

MH Crisis & Schools

 

Using unlicensed school counselors

 

MH Therapist Shortage

 

Silent Walking

 

Kids / Eyes / Screens

 

PTSD & Writing Therapy

 

More funding to fight opioid epidemic

 

One Life Too Many

 

How to use Narcan

 

STL Co Library & Narcan

 

OTC Narcan’s Pricing

 

Sober homes & Scams

 

Will marijuana become a downgraded drug?

 

Cannabis Use Disorder

 

Hemp products & Loopholes

 

Air pollution & Shorter lifespans

 

New COVID surge & masking up

 

New COVID variant for Fall 2023

 

Is this a new COVID mini-wave?

 

Pandemic distrust is eroding healthcare

 

Sweat & Heat

 

Is diabetes drug curbing other cravings?

 

Innovative Wellness Start-ups

 

Romance & Alcohol

 

Repeat Firearm Injuries

 

11 Headache triggers

 

Americans approve of unions

 

SLU Hospital Nurses set to strike

 

STL Boeing supplier layoffs

 

UAW claims ULPs

 

Summer of Strikes

 

NLRB on Avoiding Elections

 

Labor shortages across the board

 

OSHA’s Walkaround rule change

 

Salaried workers & OT pay

 

Return to office: Smuckers

 

Female surgeons getting better results

 

The unwanted kiss

 

Child care prices continue to rise

 

ILO Youth: Seizing a brighter future

 

Jugaad & India’s Moonshot

 

On losing local hospitals

 

More on student debt (1)

 

More on student debt (2)

 

On new NFL helmets & Concussions

 

Football coach confronts a terrible truth

 

On younger athletes & CTE

 

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Suicide Prevention Training

 

OSHA Sept 2023 Suicide Prevention Stand Down

 

 

NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.