Health News Roundup: India faces first court challenges to e-cigarette ban and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Childhood smoking exposure tied to irregular heartbeat in adulthood

Children who grow up breathing their parents' secondhand smoke are more likely to develop a heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation than the kids of nonsmokers, a recent study suggests. Based on families in the decades-long Framingham study, researchers found that half of the children of smokers included in the analysis were exposed to at least a half pack, or 10 cigarettes, a day - and for every pack-a-day increase in smoke exposure, kids' risk of developing atrial fibrillation in adulthood climbed by 18%.

Senators urge Walmart, others to stop selling all tobacco products

Six Democratic U.S. senators on Thursday asked Walmart Inc , Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, Rite Aid Corp and Dollar General Corp to stop selling all tobacco products. The senators cited the "public health crises" of use of e-cigarette products by children and the recent outbreak of vaping related illnesses and deaths.

Teens may struggle to get opioid overdose drug at U.S. pharmacies

Despite state laws expanding access to the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone without a prescription, a new study suggests that many pharmacies don't stock the drug or dispense it to young people who need it. In the 10 U.S. states with the most opioid overdose deaths in 2016, roughly four in five drugstores stocked naloxone, a survey of 120 pharmacists found. But nearly half of these pharmacists incorrectly thought that they could only dispense the treatment to adults.

U.S. House panel asks e-cigarette companies to cease advertising

A U.S. House panel sent letters to four e-cigarette companies asking them to stop all print, broadcast and digital advertising of their products in the United States, the same day as market-leader Juul said it would pull its ads, the panel said on Thursday. "I am writing today to respectfully, but strongly, request your company to do the same," Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, chairman of the House Oversight subcommittee on economic and consumer policy, wrote on Wednesday to Fontem Ventures, Japan Tobacco International Inc, Reynolds American Inc and NJOY LLC.

U.S. judge refuses to disqualify himself from opioid litigation

The U.S. judge overseeing nationwide opioid litigation on Thursday rejected a request by several big pharmacy chains and drug distributors to disqualify himself because he appeared to be biased against them and pressed too hard for a costly settlement. Calling the opioid crisis "one of the greatest tragedies of our time," U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland admitted he had been "very active" in encouraging a settlement, but said he was "confident that no reasonable person can legitimately question my impartiality."

India faces first court challenges to e-cigarette ban

India's ban on electronic cigarettes has been challenged in a court in the eastern city of Kolkata, marking the start of the first legal battle against the anti-vaping decision. The Indian government banned the sale, import and manufacture of e-cigarettes this month and warned of an "epidemic" among young people. The move could dash the expansion plans of companies such as Juul Labs Inc and Philip Morris International in the country.

UK sees disease outbreak risk as child vaccination rates drop

Rates of protection for children in England from many serious but vaccine-preventable diseases dropped in the past year in what UK health officials said was a "concerning trend" that increases the risk of outbreaks. The figures follow a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) last month that Britain had now lost its "measles-free" status, three years after the virus was eliminated there. Measles infected more than 230 people in the UK in the first quarter of 2019.

'Straight-up panic': U.S. vaping crackdown sends some scrambling for their fix

When Massachusetts announced a four-month ban on vaping products this week, Chris Soares was ready, having amassed more than 20 bottles of flavored, nicotine-laced vape fluid, enough to supply his daily habit well into next year. "I was doing a doomsday prepping kind of thing," said Soares.

U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 12, illnesses climb to 805

U.S. health officials on Thursday reported 805 confirmed and probable cases and 12 deaths so far from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, with the outbreak showing no signs of losing steam. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 530 cases and seven deaths due to severe lung illnesses.

Bad news for chocolate lovers: it may not help your vision

In disappointing news for chocolate lovers, researchers have found that contrary to an earlier report, eating dark chocolate will not improve your vision. The earlier report suggested that certain aspects of vision improved within a couple of hours of chocolate consumption. The new study showed no changes in vision or blood flow to the eyes after consuming about three-quarters of an ounce of dark chocolate. Both studies, however, involved only a small number of volunteers.