Should addiction disqualify people from admission to the U.S.?

The United States Code bars people with addiction from admission to the U.S. It's time that changed

April 7, 2024 Check out STAT+

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By Pat Skerrett First Opinion Editor

As I was writing this week's First Opinion newsletter from my home in Boston, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the Northeast. With all the heavy construction that's been going on in my neighborhood for the past few weeks, I didn't notice it. But STAT's Slack channels immediately lit up, alerting me to what was happening — and teaching me about it. One of my colleagues shared a post by atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci explaining why earthquakes that occur in the eastern U.S. are felt over a much bigger area than those occurring on the West Coast: the rocks underpinning the northeast are denser, so any shaking travels further, something I did not know. In response to another colleague who wrote that his dog Bo jumped up and started barking before the shaking could be felt, health tech reporter Brittany Trang shared her "favorite piece of writing ever," a New Yorker piece called "The Really Big One" that describes how dogs will be an early-warning system for a big earthquake in the Pacific Northwest. I feel blessed to have the chance to work with smart, funny, and curious colleagues. Which is exactly how I feel about First Opinion authors, and submitters. This week's essays took on topics ranging from the looming dearth of pediatricians to a medical student's brush with the value of — and gaps in — diversity and inclusion efforts in medicine and whether addiction should really be grounds for denying people admission to the United States. You can read them, and all of this week's other First Opinion essays, here.

Adobe I saw the promise of diversity efforts in health care. A moment later I saw its critical gaps DEI helps transcend barriers between patients and doctors. Republican efforts to undo diversity will make bridging biases in medicine still harder. By David Velasquez Does addiction make you un-American? At least on the books, the United States Code denies people who use drugs or have an addiction entry into the U.S. By Giorgi Minasovi and Jonathan JK Stoltman A nation with too few pediatricians could see health care costs soar This year's Match saw the fewest number of graduating medical students wanting to be pediatricians since 1994. That's a problem. By Sallie Permar and Robert J. Vinci Adobe Medicare coverage of weight loss drugs could save the U.S. billions of dollars The newest weight loss drugs are expensive. But their broader use could save the U.S. billions of dollars in health care costs. By Dana P. Goldman and Alison Sexton Ward Banning teens from social media won't help their mental health. Here's what might Banning teens from social media won't solve the mental health crisis. But there are some things that can actually help. By Jessica Schleider Hospital care costs are out of control. Price caps can help In 2019, Oregon set price caps for services provided to the members of its state employee plan. It saved $107.5 million over two years. By Roslyn Murray and Andrew Ryan Adobe STAT+ | For national security, the U.S. must maintain its biotech dominance How America maintains and extends its current advantage in biotech innovation may well determine the country's future. By John F. Crowley Personalized medicine: We're not there yet Personalized medicine holds great promise. Making it a routine part of U.S. health care and accessible to all remains a challenge. By Edward Abrahams and Christopher J. Wells STAT readers on biotech and national security, liquid-only diets before colonoscopy, and the value of weight loss drugs When it comes to bowel prep procedures before colonoscopy, one reader writes, "Evidence-based health care … what a concept!" By Patrick Skerrett

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