Cape Cod summer hotspot testing its sewage for cocaine to find out how hard islanders have been partying
Officials on the New England island of Nantucket will begin testing the island's sewage for cocaine and other drugs.
Authorities at the Health Department hope the testing will help them understand trends in residents' use of illegal substances, according to the Nantucket Current.
'First, this is baselining - If we can get an idea of the standard usage of drugs, we can see if interventions and behaviors change the rate of consumption,' the town's human services director, Jerico Mele, told the outlet.
'That can give us a scorecard on the efforts and reducing usage. With opiate data, we can confirm our expectations about usage going up around certain times of year, like holidays, or if there are time periods when drug use is heavy.
'We can then communicate to treatment centers to reach out to patients and increase outreach. It's a tool for communicating public safety, to be aware and be expecting.'
Town officials could also use data from the tests to approach outreach and intervention programs led by prevention organizations and medical providers.
Leaders are simultaneously testing sewage for COVID-19 at the Surfside Wastewater Treatment Facility. The funds for that initiative are coming from a state program.
Biobot, a Cambridge-based company specializing in wastewater epidemiology, started examining samples from the island in 2020. The town currently sends two samples weekly.
This month, the company will begin testing sewage for cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, nicotine, and opiates, along with common diseases like influenza and RSV.
'They can use the same samples we take,' said David Gray, the head of the Nantucket Sewer Department. 'The numbers will be interesting. They want to get a baseline, and that's the reason we test for COVID. It's going to be data that is a great forecasting tool.'
Officials said they're not expecting to post the results of the testing publicly.
Still, they will be shared with healthcare partners, said Mele, and shed light on local drug usage.
'Everyone's got a good idea of what the situation is, but we have very little direct measurement,' he said. 'When we get away from our gut to getting data, we get a better picture of what's going on.'
In 2001, a report from the National Drug Intelligence Center identified cocaine, particularly crack cocaine, as the biggest drug threat for Nantucket and surrounding areas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Deadly waterborne bacteria reaches dangerous levels at two popular family beaches
Those looking to swim in two popular beaches on Lake Erie this weekend have been warned of high E. coli levels infecting the waters. Edgewater and Villa Angela Beach, located on the edge of Cleveland, Ohio, have been issued a water quality advisory due to high levels of waterborne bacteria, according to the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. Edgewater Beach had an E. coli reading of 90 MPN/100 mL, while the water of Villa Angela read a whopping 315 MPN/100 mL. E. coli is measured in a measurement called MPN (most probable number), which estimates the amount of E. coli cells in a liquid sample. The E. coli threshold for Edgewater is set at 80 MPN/100 mL, and Villa Beach is 135 MPN/100 mL. Since both beaches had an E. coli measurement above their threshold, experts have advised against swimming in the water. Both beaches are still open, but patrons are advised that swimming in the water could result in contact with the potentially deadly bacteria. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District collects data on contaminated water using the Nowcast system. The system uses rainfall patterns and wind direction to predict the water quality of the lakes. This weekend's Nowcast system predicted poor water quality, urging children, the elderly, and those with health concerns to stay away from swimming. E. coli infections impact your gut and urinary tract, resulting in symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and a fever. Around 17 percent of those who contract E. coli die from the infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Although the percentage isn't high, vulnerable populations are at an enhanced risk. Those with diabetes, weakened immune systems, who are over the age of 65, or are young children are at the greatest risk of infection. If the infection spreads to the urinary tract system, it can cause pelvic pain, a burning sensation during urination, and cloudy, foul-smelling urine. E. coli is mostly spread through fecal-oral transmission when the bacteria are too small to see. Sepsis is the most common cause of death for those infected with E. coli. The condition occurs when the body's immune system can't fight off an infection and can lead to organ failure. The infection is contagious and can spread by touching contaminated objects, surfaces, or food. E. coli typically infects lakes and water sources after a rainstorm when animal feces are washed into the water. Aging sewage pipes can also leak contaminated water into lakes.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Key RFK Jr advisers stand to profit from a new federal health initiative
Federal health officials are seeking to launch a 'bold, edgy' public service campaign to warn Americans of the dangers of ultra-processed foods in social media, transit ads, billboards and even text messages. And they potentially stand to profit off the results. Ultra-processed foods are a fixation for the US health and human services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine skeptic who believes the US industrialized food supply is a 'primary culprit' behind many chronic diseases. 'We need to fix our food supply. And that's the number one thing,' Kennedy said at his confirmation hearing. Bringing healthier foods to Americans has proved to be one of the most resonant issues of Kennedy's 'Make America healthy again' (Maha) campaign – and arguably the only one that Democrats and Republicans agree on in principle. Kennedy has spent most of his tenure as health secretary dismantling key components of US vaccine infrastructure, instituting mass firings and defunding chronic disease prevention programs, such as for tobacco use. The secretary has been less successful in reigning in food makers. Food advocates have described voluntary changes between the government and manufacturers 'disappointing'. Kennedy was criticized by congressional Republicans for targeting agricultural pesticides in the 'Maha' report before it was even released – showing the limits of Republicans appetite for regulation, then the report itself was riddled with errors, likely generated by AI. 'The campaign's creative content will turn heads, create viral moments on social media, and – above all else – inspire Americans to take back their health through eating real food,' said a document published by the federal government that described the campaign. The campaign is expected to cost between $10m to $20m, according to documents. Anyone seeking to apply for the award will have a quick turnaround – the deadline is 26 June. 'The purpose of this requirement is to alert Americans to the role of processed foods in fueling the diabetes epidemic and other chronic diseases, inspire people to take personal responsibility for their diets, and drive measurable improvements in diabetes prevention and national health outcomes,' it continued. The new public relations campaign also highlights the Trump administration's unconventional approach to hiring – including its reliance on special government employees. A key adviser to Kennedy, Calley Means, could directly benefit from one of the campaign's stated aims: popularizing 'technology like wearables as cool, modern tools for measuring diet impact and taking control of your own health'. Calley Means is a senior Kennedy adviser, and was hired as a special government employee to focus on food policy, according to Bloomberg. He founded a company that helps Americans get such wearable devices reimbursed tax-free through health savings accounts. Casey Means is Calley's sister. She also runs a healthcare start-up, although hers sells wearable devices such as continuous glucose monitors. She is Kennedy's nominee for US surgeon general, and a healthcare entrepreneur whose business sells continuous glucose monitors – one such wearable device. Calley Means's company also works with Casey's company. Due to Calley Means's status as a special employee, he has not been forced to divest from his private business interests – a situation that has already resulted in an ethics complaint. Consumer advocates, such as the non-profit group Public Citizen, had warned such hiring practices could cause conflicts of interest. HHS did not respond to a request for comment about Calley Means's private business interests, or his role in crafting the publicity campaign. Although the publicity campaign focuses on the ultra-processed foods connection to diabetes, at least one high profile nutritionist was queasy about its focus. 'The ultra-processed foods – some of those include breakfast cereals that are ultra-processed because they are fortified with vitamins,' said Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. 'Those are good if they're whole grain breakfast cereals and whole grain breads,' he said. Ultra-processed foods are generally recognized as sodas, salty snacks and frozen meals engineered to be shelf-stable, convenient and inexpensive. Such foods are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes – or insulin resistance. The mechanism by which such foods could increase risk of diabetes is unknown, a problem that extends in part from the 'heterogeneous category' of foods that the ultra-processed category encompasses. The publicity campaign proposal does not venture into defining the category, even as Kennedy has fixated on it 'poisoning the American people'. 'When you say processed foods you don't envision a Coke in your brain, and that's the biggest problem,' said Willett, who added that most public service campaigns are carefully crafted and tested for effectiveness.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
As a heatwave approaches, experts say US sunscreens are less effective than those abroad
Many dermatologists and experts say US sunscreens are still not as effective as many available overseas when it comes to protecting against ultraviolet radiation linked to skin cancer and premature ageing – despite years of research. The concern comes as a brutal heatwave, with a suffocating 'heat dome', is arriving for more than 200 million people across vast swaths of the US this weekend, bringing extreme heat and humidity . Studies have shown that the global climate crisis is making heatwaves more severe, frequent and long lasting. As fierce sun beats down on parts of the US this weekend, people are urged to try to stay out of the direct sun, stay hydrated and apply lots of sunscreen if outdoors – but people will probably have to rely on sunscreens that are less effective at fending off the ultraviolet rays than sunscreen available in some other countries. While American sunscreens generally do a good job at blocking UVB rays, which cause sunburn, experts and studies have noted in recent years that they often provide weaker protection against ultraviolet radiation in the form of UVA rays, compared to products available in places like Europe and South Korea. A 2017 study found only around half of US sunscreens tested met the European standards for UVA protection. Experts attribute this gap largely to regulatory differences. In the US, sunscreen is classified and regulated as an over-the-counter drug, rather than a cosmetic product like in other countries. This means that each active ingredient must undergo an often lengthy regulatory approval process with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are subject to rigorous safety requirements and animal testing. Experts often point out that the FDA has not approved a new UV-filter for sunscreen in more than 20 years. 'The issue for me isn't the safety of the sunscreens we have,' dermatologist Adewole Adamson told NPR. 'It's that some of the chemical sunscreens aren't as broad spectrum as they could be, meaning they do not block UVA as well. This could be alleviated by the FDA allowing new ingredients.' Meanwhile, in countries like France, South Korea, the UK and Japan, governments have approved a wider range of UV-filtering ingredients, which experts say allow for more advanced sunscreens. One of the ingredients is bemotrizinol, which is considered one of the safest and most vetted chemicals on the global market. It remains unapproved by the FDA, but Swiss sunscreen company, DSM-Firmenich, is seeking FDA approval for it. But, dermatologist Dr Nazanin Saedi told Axios that a decision is not expected before 2026. 'So do not delay in stocking up on your sunscreen for this summer!' she said. In a statement to the Guardian, a spokesperson for the FDA said that 'many currently marketed and widely available sunscreen products in the US provide excellent broad-spectrum coverage and are effective in preventing sunburn and reducing the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun, when used as directed with other sun protection measures'. 'The fact that sunscreen ingredients are available in other countries does not mean that the important safety questions about these ingredients are well understood, or that they provide greater efficacy or safety than sunscreens lawfully sold in the US,' the spokesperson added. 'In many other countries, sunscreens are regulated differently and may not be required to have the data that FDA, and other experts, consider necessary to fully evaluate the safety of sunscreen ingredients.' In 2023, representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat representing New York, spoke out about the quality of US sunscreens compared to elsewhere and urged Americans to contact their member of Congress to draw attention to this issue. 'US sunscreens are far behind the rest of the world and our regulations aren't necessarily making our sunscreens better or safer – but it doesn't have to be this way!' Ocasio-Cortez said. Republican senator Mike Lee agreed with the New York representative, and in a post on social media, wrote: 'There is no left or right when it comes to UV light.' A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress aims to modernize sunscreen regulations and allow non-animal testing alternatives for regulatory approval. Still, dermatologists stress the importance of wearing sunscreen, and Dr Robert Kirsner, a dermatologist with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami, told CBS that the sunscreens available in the US are still considered safe and effective as long as they are used properly. Expert suggest wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and advise wearing it every day, even on cloudy days. For those seeking the safest products in the US market, experts told the Guardian last year that people should look for physical, also known as 'mineral', sunscreens containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
