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On Second Thought For Friday, July 1, 2016
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We celebrate a landmark birthday of an important Georgia organization on today's show. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta was founded 70 years ago. On this show, we revisit some of our best conversations about issues that the CDC studies -- like the harsh realities of secondhand smoke and the effectiveness of smoking regulations in Georgia.
A new microneedle patch designed at Georgia Tech could make it easier than ever for people to protect against measles. The tiny patch is administered with just the press of a thumb to the skin. Could this be a game changer for vaccines? We learn more about the technology from Georgia Tech’s Mark Prausnitz and Rebecca Martin, director of the CDC’s Global Immunization Division.
Plus, we take a look at a recent CDC study that examined the connection between bars and violence. The report focused on one Atlanta neighborhood – Buckhead – and found that decrease in a concentration of bars and other on-site drinking premises there led to a decrease in crime. Should that affect how urban city planners lay out neighborhoods? Bob Brewer, the head of the CDC’s alcohol program, explains whether that should affect how urban city planners lay out neighborhoods.
Also, ever wonder whose job it is to track down the sources of disease outbreaks? Meet the CDC’s “disease detectives.” They’re an elite group of public health professionals who have to apply to be accepted into the center’s two-year program. We talk with two members of the class of 2015 as they begin their work: Rebekah Stewart Schicker and Saleena Subaiya.
And we take a look at smoking rates in Georgia. First, the good news – smoking is on a steady decline in Georgia. But other “emerging products” like e-cigarettes and hookahs are on the rise, especially among youth, and that’s not so good news. Also, bars and restaurants in the state are finding loopholes to keep their businesses smoker-friendly. What’s the state of tobacco usage in Georgia, and what are the most effective ways to keep young Georgians from picking up the habit? Host Celeste Headlee talks to Brian King with the Office of Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Terry Pechacek from Georgia State University’s School of Public Health.