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Almost half of the states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia currently have regulated mandatory three to seven day limits bounding the amount of opioids that a doctor can prescribe a patient. These recently instituted laws are likely responsible for the sizeable reduction in overdoses from prescribed opioids, but they also encourage patients to turn to the black market for their opioid fix. (Michael Shindler, 10/4)

This is a story about how the health care industry effectively forces patients into opioid use. I know, because this recently almost happened to me. And it could have cost me my life. (Emma Passé, 10/3)

As a pediatrician who specializes in child abuse in the South Bronx, I see teenage girls every day who have been sexually assaulted, often by older teenage boys. Sadly, very few of the perpetrators are ever held accountable for the crimes they have committed. Why? The victims have everything to lose by coming forward: They blame themselves. Law enforcement officers doubt the veracity of their claims and make them feel like they “wanted it.” If kids in school get wind of the assault, they take sides and some call the victim a slut or whore. Their parents blame them for going to the party, and for not telling them sooner about the assault. (Nina Agrawal, 10/3)

Several senators have said they would not vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice if they believed he would vote to undo the basic protections for women upheld in Roe v. Wade and other cases. So if his testimony and his meetings with those senators had exposed that as his almost-certain path, they would vote no. But the only reason his public testimony and private meetings didn’t reveal such a clear inclination is that Judge Kavanaugh dissembled about his views, calling the Supreme Court’s abortion rulings “precedent on precedent,” as though that rendered them safe from his slippery keyboard. The truth is it does nothing of the kind. Which means that senators who have, rightly or wrongly, made that a litmus test face a rendezvous with destiny in deciding on this nominee. (Laurence H. Tribe, 10/3)

 It is difficult to remember now, but prior to the enactment of Medicare Part D in 2003, millions of Americans who relied on Medicare for their health-care coverage, did not have access to a comprehensive prescription drug benefit. My, how times have changed. (Carl Schmid, 10/3)

If you follow the news, you might think that the opioid overdose epidemic is our only drug-related public health crisis. To be sure, it is a serious problem that claims more than one life a day in Maine, affects nearly every community and demands a much bolder coordinated response than what we have seen so far. But it is not the only one, and it may not even be the deadliest. Alcohol, available at corner stores and gas stations everywhere, is killing Mainers and ruining lives right under our noses. A new World Health Organization study blames alcohol for 3 million deaths a year, accounting for one in 20 deaths globally. (10/4)

This news makes me feel warm all over. Indeed, I am positively glowing. New regulations floated by the Environmental Protection Agency are set to increase Americans’ exposure to radiation — because, according to scientific theory now in favor with the Trump administration, radiation is not bad for us. It may even be healthy! (Dana Milbank, 10/3)

In plain language, the newest VA National Suicide Data Report makes it clear that there are many veterans struggling with mental health on the homefront, and far too many are taking their lives. The report analyzed data from 2005 to 2016. During that time, the number of veterans lost to suicide has frustratingly hovered close to about 6,000 a year. (10/3)

Children are spirited out of regulated shelters all over the country with little notice and put into tents in the desert that are without state regulation. This can’t help but signal diminished chances for reunification with parents, relatives or others who may care for them in more humane conditions. (10/3)

We’re less hopeful that the six LGBT plaintiffs will be successful in their lawsuit; courts have generally deferred to North Carolina’s Constitution, which gives the state legislature the power to tell cities and counties what to do. Until the makeup of that legislature changes, our state will continue to allow transgender discrimination, even if the law doesn’t mandate it. (10/3)

On Nov. 6, Californians have the opportunity to vote on Proposition 4 to expand and upgrade our state’s children’s hospitals. The passage of the $1.5 billion bond issue will ensure that young people across our state continue to receive the critical, life-saving care they need. (Darrell Steinberg, 10/3)

The state of Michigan has taken several proactive steps this week to address the safety of its water — and waterways. In a state so dependent on the Great Lakes, this is especially important.After the bungling of the Flint water crisis, state and federal officials learned the huge ramifications of the government not doing enough to protect its citizens. Any potential environmental risk must be taken extremely seriously, and dealt with in a timely fashion. (10/3)

Americans have known for decades about the wide variety of health problems caused by smoking cigarettes. But breathing other people's cigarette smoke, sometimes called "secondhand smoke," also causes health problems. Today, Alaska joins 25 other states in requiring smokers in public places, including work sites, to "take it outside" to protect the health of others. These regulations are based on sound science, protect our health and save us money. In a state that prides itself on its independence and libertarian values, this law strikes the right balance between personal freedom and personal responsibility. (Jay Butler, 10/2)