News that Affects You: April 2010 in Review

[Mel]

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010).

News that Affects You: April 2010 in Review
By Jessie (Asylum)

Absent in April? Would you rather spend your spring outside than indoors reading the news? In case you missed the headlines, here’s a glimpse of what people were talking about, or should have been, in April 2010!

Mental Health

Inhalant epidemic. A survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finds 12-year-olds are intentionally misusing inhalants to get high at an alarming rate—more than they are using marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogens combined. According to the report, 5.2 percent of 12-year-olds have smoked cigarettes, while 6.9 percent have tried inhalants. The discouraging numbers may be due to the availability of inhalants in conjunction with the difficulty young people may face obtaining other substances.

Don't speak. NHS cuts threaten talking therapies for psychiatric patients. It is estimated that up to half a million people with mental health disorders may lose access to therapy in the UK in the name of saving money. Patients affected could include those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Health

Merry mommy. For the first time in decades there has been a significant drop in the number of women dying each year from pregnancy and childbirth, worldwide. Maternal deaths are reported to have fallen from 526,300 in 1980 to approximately 342,900 in 2008, an astonishing and welcomed reduction which may be attributed to more efficient and widely available routine maternal care, improved medical training for birthing attendants, increased knowledge of complications related to pregnancy and how to treat them, and increased education among communities.

Faux-sun junkie? Tanning beds may be addictive, says research from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA. The study suggests that approximately one third of tanning bed users may become addicted to the effects of tanning, and that those who become addicted to tanning beds may be more likely to engage in other harmful behavior and may suffer from higher levels of anxiety.

Entertainment

Saga or Gaga? The new “Queen of YouTube” was crowned in April 16th. Lady Gaga, breaking records with more than one billion views, has beat out the popular “Twilight Saga” channel, which boasts a massive 980 million views. These numbers only represent official channels, and don’t include unofficial uploads. It’s still pretty impressive, if you ask us.

Natural Disaster

Planet in peril. Throughout the month of April, deadly natural disasters have battered and bruised the Earth. Mudslides and floods have devastated Rio de Janerio, Brazil, while landslides struck in Taiwan. Earthquakes have rattled the world from Adelaide, Australia to Afghanistan, Tangshan and Qinghai, China, Indonesia, the southern Solomon Islands, Spain, and Taiwan. Perhaps most publicized this month was the April 14th volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull (no, I can’t pronounce that), Iceland which has disrupted air travel and international trade and is causing health concerns. Also in April, tornadoes slashed the US states of Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

Say what?

But his ticket is paid! Two women tried to take a dead man on a flight from Liverpool to Berlin, Germany, on April 3rd in what can only be described as peculiar. The women, arrested for failure to give notification of a death, claim they were unaware their travel companion was deceased. We’re not so sure about that.

For more news check out the Current Events and Debates forum, or reputable online sources like www.bbc.co.uk or www.cnn.com!