Health & Safety

The U.S. surgeon general warns that e-cigarette smoking has the potential to cause young people lasting harm.

'Your Kids Are Not An Experiment'; Surgeon General Says No Vaping For Young People

4:53pm December 08, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

A report from the surgeon general warns that "nicotine is addictive and harmful for youth and young adults," and notes e-cigarettes are increasingly popular among people under 25.

When A Psychologist Succumbed To Stress, He Coined The Term 'Burnout'

4:41pm December 08, 2016

by Noel King

Between email and cell phones, many of us feel like we're at work 24/7. The concept of workplace burnout is not that old. NPR's Planet Money team has the story of the man who coined the term.

Life Expectancy In U.S. Drops For First Time In Decades, Report Finds

9:50am December 08, 2016

by Rob Stein

Overall, U.S. life expectancy dipped in 2015 — the first drop since 1993. That's because the death rate went up between 2014 and 2015, driven by an increase in mortality among people younger than 65.

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The company SpotHero built a Zen Den to help employees avoid burnout.

Episode 740: Burnout

8:08pm December 07, 2016

All types of companies are struggling with burnout. Many try to fix it. Most of them fail. One exception: A 26-year-old call center manager, with stress balls and costumes in her arsenal.

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Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., Sen. Chris Murphy D-Conn., Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., called for Senate passage of the 21st Century Cures Act on Monday.

Mental Health Care Gets A Boost From 21st Century Cures Act

6:12pm December 07, 2016

by Liz Szabo

Early intervention for treating psychosis and grants to train more psychologists and psychiatrists are just some of the ways the legislation would change mental health services.

A large balloon in support of the Heartbeat Bill flies outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, in June 2012. More than four years later, the measure, which would ban abortions as soon as six weeks after conception, has passed the Legislature — after b

Ohio Legislature Moves To Ban Abortion As Early As 6 Weeks After Conception

5:52pm December 07, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

At six weeks after conception, many women still don't know they are pregnant. Similar laws have been struck down in other states, but supporters hope for a different outcome in a Trump administration.

Babu, 8, works at a brick factory in Narayanganj, Bangladesh.

Study: Child Laborers In Bangladesh Are Working 64 Hours A Week

5:20pm December 07, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

A new report from the Overseas Development Institute finds that impoverished children are working long hours in violation of the country's labor laws.

Be the sunflower and you may live longer.

A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life

4:25pm December 07, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

This study doesn't prove that optimism actually causes better health or postpones death. But it joins a growing body of evidence suggesting that they're fellow travelers.

Doctors and hospitals are increasingly asking patients to pay up front for deductibles, which can cost thousands.

Doctors And Hospitals Tell Patients: Show Us The Money Before Treatment

10:30am December 07, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

As patients' share of medical bills has grown with the rise in deductibles, copays and coinsurance, providers have become laser focused on getting payments up front.

A nighttime satellite image offers some information about pockets of poverty — that's where electricity isn't lighting things up.

To Help The Poorest Of The Poor, First You Have To Find Them

6:24pm December 06, 2016

by Mark H. Kim

A new project uses computers to analyze daytime satellite pictures for signs of extreme poverty. Does it work?