Health News Roundup: Suicide attempts rising among black teens; African swine fever and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Bayer expects significant surge in number of U.S. glyphosate cases

Bayer expects the number of claims in the United States related to Roundup herbicide to have surged in the third quarter, as the German drugs and pesticides maker tries to reach a settlement after earlier court rulings against it. "With the substantial increase in plaintiff advertising this year, we expect to see a significant surge in the number of plaintiff filings over the third quarter," the company said in a written statement.

Many gun injuries involving the eyes strike U.S. children and teens

More than one in five victims hospitalized for gun-related injuries to the eyes are under 21 years old, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on 8,715 firearm-related eye injuries reported to the National Trauma Data Bank, the largest national registry of hospitalized trauma cases in the U.S., between 2008 and 2014. Overall, 1,972 cases, or almost 23%, involved patients under 21, and 12.2% of these patients died in the hospital.

China's pig herd to recover in 2020 after African swine fever devastation: official

China's hog production capacity should bottom out before the end of 2019 after outbreaks of African swine fever decimated the world's biggest pig herd, an official said on Thursday, forecasting a return to usual pig numbers in 2020. Inventories at large farms have already started to rebound, according to Yang Zhenhai, director of the Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, speaking at a briefing on Thursday.

Drug firms offer to settle U.S. opioid suits with $50 billion package: sources

Five drugmakers and distributors are offering $22 billion in cash as well as drugs and services they value at $28 billion to resolve lawsuits alleging the industry fueled the U.S. opioid crisis, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The drug industry faces roughly 2,600 lawsuits brought by state and local governments, hospitals and other entities seeking to hold drug makers and distributors responsible for the toll of opioid abuse. Local governments seek funds to cover costs of services in their communities.

Lilly's pancreatic cancer treatment fails late-stage study

Eli Lilly and Co said on Wednesday its experimental pancreatic cancer treatment in combination with chemotherapy drugs failed to meet the main goal of overall survival in a late-stage study. Lilly shares fell 1.6% to $108 in premarket trading.

E-cigarette, tobacco, cannabis 'litter' studied at Bay-area high schools

High schools in the San Francisco Bay area are being littered with disposable pods and other trash from e-cigarettes, cannabis products, cigarettes and cigarillos, according to a new study. In addition to confirming wide use of these products by youth, the litter represents an environmental threat, the authors of the "garbology" study write in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Brexit healthcare fears fuel expatriate insurance interest in Europe

Some Britons living in the Europe Union are worried about losing access to free healthcare after Brexit, opening up a potentially lucrative new market for European health insurers. "I am indebted to France for my life," said Beryl Roberts from Pontivy, in the north west of the country, who has the French health service to thank for spotting her cancer.

Suicide attempts rising among black teens

Suicide attempts are rising among black teens in the U.S. even as they fall among youth from other racial and ethnic groups, a study suggests. Researchers examined nationwide survey data from nearly 200,000 high school students collected between 1991 and 2017. While the overall proportion of teens reporting suicidal thoughts or plans declined for all racial and ethnic groups during the study period, the proportion of black teens attempting suicide surged by 73%.

Michigan judge blocks flavored vape ban as Juul faces wrongful death lawsuit

A Michigan judge on Tuesday blocked the state's ban on flavored e-cigarettes about two weeks after it took effect and hours after a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Juul Labs Inc in the first such case against an e-cigarette firm. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer had ordered the state ban in September, declaring that teenagers' use of e-cigarettes, known as vaping, was a public health emergency.

Smokeless tobacco use in pregnancy tied to higher blood pressure in kids

Children whose mothers used smokeless tobacco during pregnancy have higher blood pressure by the time they're 5-6 years old compared to peers whose mothers avoided tobacco, a small Swedish study finds. Researchers examined blood pressure in 21 kids exposed in the womb to snus, a moist powdered smokeless tobacco, and 19 children without any prenatal tobacco exposure.

(With inputs from agencies.)