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In a recent survey conducted by CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO), alarming trends indicate a significant rise in cannabis-impaired driving, particularly involving edibles. Key findings from the 2023 survey revealed that 38 per cent of cannabis-impaired drivers in Ontario consumed edibles before driving—a 12 per cent increase from the previous year and more than double the rate in 2019. “The data shows us that while drivers primarily engage in cannabis-impaired driving after smoking a joint, the prevalence of driving under the influence of edibles is on the upswing, and that poses a greater risk to road safety,” says Michael Stewart, community relations consultant at CAA SCO. “Edibles are harder to detect and can take up to two hours for the effects to kick in.” According to the survey, 7 per cent (approximately 750,000 Ontario drivers) admit to driving after consuming some form of cannabis in the past three months. The survey also found that almost three-quarters (70 per cent) of the cannabis-impaired drivers admitted to getting behind the wheel within 3 hours of consumption, and nearly half (45 per cent) have felt high while driving. “Despite the misconception that cannabis may not impair driving ability, it affects coordination, reaction time, attention, judgment, and decision-making. We want to emphasize our commitment to public education, urging motorists to stay informed about the risks and penalties of impaired driving,” says Stewart. The consequences of impaired driving are evident, with 6 per cent of Ontario drivers admitting having ever been charged— an increase from the previous year. Collisions caused by impaired driving also rose to 6 per cent in 2023, compared to 4 per cent in the preceding year. During this holiday season, CAA reminds drivers to make alternate arrangements, such as utilizing rideshare services, to ensure a safe journey home. “While edibles may be legal, CAA emphasizes that they are incompatible with responsible driving,” adds Stewart. Dig Insights conducted an online survey on behalf of CAA SCO between June 22 to July 5, 2023, of 1,518 Ontario drivers aged 19-75 who had access to a vehicle. Based on the sample size and the confidence level (95 per cent), the margin of error for this study was +/- 2 per cent.
Is South Florida soon to be the next Las Vegas? Our expert can tell you if it's a good a bet or not?
There's a lot of buzz in Florida around gambling right now. Legal sports betting, live roulette and live craps might soon become a reality in the Sunshine State, adding to the economic bonanza and possible social consequences that comes with allowing these activities to expand. Expectations are high, and it's an idea getting a lot of coverage. In less than a month, in-person sports betting, craps and roulette will, presumably, begin at all South Florida casinos and elsewhere in the state, though that anticipated launch may hinge on a favorable ruling from the Florida Supreme Court. The launch is expected to drive tourists and businesses to South Florida and elsewhere in the state, create jobs, and bring in billions of dollars in revenue. Though investors and hotel owners might not want to push all their chips in just yet. There are serious legal issues that still need to be overcome as well as opposition from the Seminole Tribe and the anti-casino group No Casino. The idea though, has media contacting local experts like Florida Atlantic's Peter Ricci for perspective and insight. Peter Ricci, a Florida Atlantic University professor who specializes in hospitality and tourism industry trends, thinks that South Florida will see an uptick heading into the Super Bowl, but most of what he hears from local businesses and hospitality employees is uncertainty rather than excitement. “What I’ve heard is questions about ‘when is it starting?'” he said. ” … ‘Are they hiring for blackjack dealers? What does this mean? Will they expand the hotel?’ All these questions but nothing specifically pro or con about actual sports betting itself.” November 13 - Sun Sentinel Whether Florida can become the next Las Vegas is up to the courts, but if you are a reporter following this ongoing story - we're here to help. Peter Ricci is the Director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. He is a hospitality industry veteran with more than 20 years of managerial experience in segments including food service, lodging, incentive travel and destination marketing. Peter is available to speak with the media about tourism in Florida and the potential for gambling. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Public health workers faced unprecedented threats during the pandemic
A new study led by Jennifer Horney, founder of the University of Delaware's Epidemiology program, shows that threats to public health workers nearly doubled after the COVID-19 vaccine was released in August 2021. The results, recently published in an open-access commentary in Public Health in Practice, demonstrate a strong need for expanded legal protections for all frontline workers. They also illustrate a need to boost the resilience of the public health workforce, which can be achieved through training, coping, protective services and media management. While public health workers have always received threats, including during the SARS and Zika outbreaks, the COVID-19 pandemic threats were different. “These threats were more personal in nature,” said Horney, a professor in UD's College of Health Sciences. “Due to the proliferation of social media and the politicization of the pandemic, for the first time, public health leaders were finding protesters on their doorsteps or were being doxed.” Horney and her team surveyed staff at state and local health departments in 23 states – most of them epidemiology or communicable disease staff. The initial online survey found that 25% of respondents said someone in their public health agency had received personal threats. That percentage practically doubled to 41% in a follow-up survey. Of those, respondents said nearly all the personal threats were lodged by members of the public. Almost 40% reported receiving political threats. The threats reported by public health workers who responded to the survey ranged from death threats to blame for COVID-19 deaths due to incompetence. Horney is available for interviews to discuss the study and other topics related to the public health response to COVID-19 and the impacts of natural disasters on public health. Click on her profile below to contact Horney and the UD media relations team.
Expert reaction to the UK AI Safety Summit
Today the UK government announced a "world first agreement" on how to manage the riskiest forms of AI. It focuses on so-called "frontier AI" - what ministers consider highly advanced forms of the tech - with as-yet unknown capabilities. The agreement, signed by countries including the US, the EU and China, was announced at the UK's AI Safety Summit. Dr Alina Patelli, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, Aston University, comments: “A summit on AI safety is long overdue. As is the case with all groundbreaking technologies, AI’s transformative potential for public good is only matched by its risks, which are unlikely to be successfully avoided, if AI tech design and deployment are left unregulated and therefore open to misuse, either intentionally or accidentally. The scope of the summit is appropriate, reflective of Government’s cautious approach to managing interactions with AI safety experts from multiple nations and disciplines: the summit focus is kept narrow, to five objectives only, and the number of participants is wisely limited to 100, to keep the conversation productive.” What is likely to come out of this summit? “The summit’s main output will most likely be a bare-bones regulatory document comprising (1) a shared understanding of AI (i.e., a generally accepted definition of the term reflective of all summit participants’ views, not just those of tech experts), (2) a list of major risks associated to AI misuse, both in terms of potential damage as well as likelihood of becoming a reality, and (3) a policy draft outlining the core elements that a yet-to-be-developed governance framework should include.” What AI safety could/should look like? “Although it would be premature to venture a definition of AI safety ahead of the summit, one thing that is certain is that a comprehensive, therefore effective, AI regulatory framework would encompass more than just laws. Non-legally binding codes of conduct, tech design and development processes that are bound by moral and ethical values, both in the commercial ecosystem, as well as when it comes to individual entrepreneurs, revised open-access licenses under which AI should be used in the public domain, etc. are equally important pieces. The best way to integrate all these in a cohesive, overarching governance plan is perhaps a topic to explore in one of the post-summit events.” What are the potential practicalities for a route forward towards safe AI? “The practical way to systematically regulate AI is incremental. Initially, the development and application of those AI tools deemed to be high-risk will most likely be restricted to controlled environments, where the potential benefits justify the risks and where sound mitigation procedures can be quickly and effectively enforced to mitigate those risks. As regulations become better prescribed, AI’s (safe and legal) application space will gradually expand, making its benefits available to larger groups of people without any of the downsides.” To interview Dr Alina Patelli or request further details contact Nicola Jones, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7825 342091 or email: n.jones6@aston.ac.uk
Jacqueline Ortiz Honored for Increasing Patient Access to Interpreter Services
Fifty-eight years ago, a young man from Argentina wound up in surgery at a California hospital after stomach pains turned out to be peritonitis, a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal wall. He was discharged to his wife’s care, with one problem — neither the man nor his wife had any idea how to care for the open wound in his abdomen. Jacqueline Ortiz The couple did not understand the lengthy instructions delivered in English, and there was no interpreter to explain to them in their native Spanish what to expect. So, when the man tried to take a bath and discovered the gauze was stuck to his wound, he didn’t know what to do. Fear and uncertainty compounded an already stressful time. Jacqueline Ortiz wasn’t yet born when her father’s health care emergency took place, but growing up she heard the story over and over. It was more than family lore for Ortiz — it was a lesson. Ortiz said she wanted her mother, pictured with her at the DVTA event, to see the growing number of people working as interpreters to ensure people get the information they need in the language they understand. Ortiz, now the vice president for Health Equity and Cultural Competence at ChristianaCare, saw firsthand how the experience left her parents terrified of the medical environment. Removing barriers to good health Years later, Ortiz is a leader in advocating for patients to have access to qualified, culturally responsive medical interpreting services to remove communication barriers with providers and ensure the best possible care and outcomes. “Language access is what fills my heart and soul,” Ortiz said. Her pioneering efforts and enthusiasm for promoting the use of trained interpreters in health care earned Ortiz the inaugural Making an Impact Award from the Delaware Valley Translators Association (DVTA) during an event Sept. 9 at Widener University. In her role at ChristianaCare, she builds the organization’s capacity to reduce the incidence of disease and improve health outcomes, advance equitable health care services, and reduce health disparities for identified conditions and target populations through culturally competent care, including providing health care in patients’ native languages. She has over 20 years of experience researching, teaching and working in cultural competence and health equity, social networks, and economic sociology. “Language access is what fills my heart and soul,” Ortiz said. A vision for serving everyone Eliane Sfeir-Markus, CHI, president of the DVTA, said the award recognizes the efforts of those working to make interpreting and translation more available to people with limited English proficiency, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Ortiz’s pioneering work to expand language services for patients and implement comprehensive cultural competence training at ChristianaCare have set a standard for caring for patients in their native languages. “Jaki’s vision for a health care system that truly serves everyone, regardless of their cultural or linguistic background, is inspiring,” Sfeir-Markus said. “We as patients deserve someone who knows our culture to take care of us.” ChristianaCare has more than 20 health care interpreters and over 100 caregivers who have undergone additional training to provide interpreting services when needed. ChristianaCare has more than 20 health care interpreters — who wear eggplant-colored uniforms — and over 100 bilingual caregivers who have undergone special training to serve as interpreters in some settings. “Jaki is a well-known name in the field of interpreting and translation because she has advocated for education and professionalization of interpreters in health care,” said Claudia Reyes-Hull, MArch, CMI, CHI, manager of Cultural and Linguistic Programs at ChristianaCare. “Thanks to her advocacy, more health care systems are recognizing the need to have trained interpreters for their patients.” In accepting the award, Ortiz said interpreters play a critical role in health care by making it possible for patients — and their families — to take an active role in their own care and decrease the anxiety over visiting a health care provider. She credited the success of ChristianaCare’s interpreting and translations services and its continued growth to the collaborative spirit and camaraderie among its team of caregivers, particularly Reyes-Hull. Ortiz said her family’s personal experience with a lack of interpreting services during a hospital stay made them anxious about health care for years. “Probably all of us in this room have walked into a courtroom or a lawyer’s office or a hospital room or a clinic and introduced ourselves and seen that immediate response and relaxation in the person we were speaking with,” Ortiz said to the translators at the DVTA event. “You make those interactions within our legal, educational and health care systems so much better.”
Expert warns: Political violence may escalate to civil war scale during 2024 election season
The violent January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol is not the end of the story of contemporary political violence in the United States. Stuart J. Kaufman, professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware, projects that political violence will be worse during the 2024 election campaign season. He has found that there is a significant risk that such violence could reach a scale that qualifies as a civil war. Professor Kaufman can speak to how political rhetoric, from politicians and the media, is contributing to an atmosphere that makes political violence increasingly probable, and to the impact that legal charges against former President Donald Trump may have on that probability. Click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Georgia Southern professor earns Fulbright US Scholar Award for 2023-2024
A noted Georgia Southern University public health professor has earned a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in All Disciplines to Latvia for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Yelena N. Tarasenko, DrPH, is a professor in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences at Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. Her Fulbright project is titled “Strengthening research and teaching capacity in cancer prevention globally.” She will collaborate with personnel and students at the Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at the University of Latvia, as well as colleagues at the International Agency for Research on Cancer to help improve cancer care coordination and screening in Latvia and 14 European countries participating in the “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union” project. Given Tarasenko’s expertise in legal and cancer epidemiology, she will engage in (i) implementation research focused on cancer screening and patient navigation, and (ii) teaching activities focused on fostering research productivity (e.g., guest lecturing, curriculum development, advising, and mentoring). Tarasenko is among more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbright scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad. As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries – chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential – with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world. “This is a wonderful validation of Dr. Tarasenko’s scholarship and expertise, and another example of Georgia’s Southern’s expanding reputation for public-impact research,” said Carl Reiber, Ph.D., Georgia Southern University provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Fulbright scholars are among the world’s most talented academicians, and we congratulate Dr. Tarasenko for this achievement.” More than 800 U.S. scholars — faculty members, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds — teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas. “I’m excited to help expand our expertise on global health and develop a relationship with the only classical university in Latvia,” Tarasenko said. “This proposed project meets the university’s strategic pillars, as its leadership looks for ways to create and encourages opportunities for the exchange of teaching, research, scholarship, and professional development. It also meets the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health’s values and goals in terms of thinking globally and acting locally.” The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org. To connect with Yelena N. Tarasenko — simply reach out to Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Why does Alabama have more gun deaths than New York? UConn expert explains.
Only five million people live in Alabama, but the state has the fourth highest firearms death rate in the country. In 2021, the state had 26.4 firearm deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Compared to New York -- a state with about 20 million people and a rate of 5.4 gun deaths per 100,000 in 2021 -- the question becomes: Why does such a small state rank so high for gun violence? UConn expert Kerri Raissian offered perspective and insight on the causes and reasons why these tragic incidents occur in specific regions and states more often across America in an interview with the Alabama Reflector: A 2019 brief published by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a nonprofit research center for the State University of New York (SUNY) system, said universal background checks, concealed carry permits and laws prohibiting people who have committed violent misdemeanors reduce gun homicides. “One policy that has come up against legal challenges recently has been not allowing people under the age of 21 years old to have certain guns or types of weapons,” Raissian said. “It is helpful. That age group has the highest risk of perpetuating homicides of any age group in the U.S.” Social policies can also deter gun violence. “It is laws, it is access to guns, it is also poverty,” Raissian said. “We have a lot of evidence that laws that you wouldn’t think have anything to do with gun violence, like Medicaid access, summer school for kids, employment opportunities for kids, are really good at reducing gun violence.” Raissian cited a randomized controlled trial of a youth summer employment program that was established in Chicago that had reduced incidents of gun violence compared to a control group. “It is not just about keeping them busy because these differences persist,” Raissian said. “It is also learning conflict resolution. It is also learning communication skills — all those things that come from employment and positive interactions tend to reduce violence of any form.” But Raissian and Grant Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, both said no single law will solve the issues of gun violence. The full article is attached above, and well worth the read. Kerri Raissian is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut, director of the University of Connecticut's UConn’s Center for Advancing Research, Methods, and Scholarship (ARMS) in Gun Violence Prevention, and co-director of the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) Gun Violence Prevention Research Interest Group. She is available to speak to media about this important topic - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
CAA Insurance Company is excited to announce the launch of the CAA Head Start Discount™, a program designed to help young drivers save on their insurance costs. The discount is available to the children or dependents of CAA Insurance auto policyholders in good standing. Effective April 15 for new business and June 15 for renewals, the CAA Head Start Discount offers 25 per cent savings to youth in Ontario under the age of 25 with a clean driving record. This discount is part of CAA Insurance's commitment to innovation and offering the best possible options to its customers. "We are proud to be the first company to bring 25 per cent savings to market for young drivers in good standing," says Matthew Turack, group president CAA Insurance. "This new discount is another way that we can help Ontario families save money." CAA Insurance has always made decisions with the best interests of its customers in mind. When designing programs, products, or initiatives, CAA Insurance makes data-driven decisions by polling both policyholders and the public and by asking ourselves the question, "What would a customer like and benefit from?" This question helps the company stay modern and relevant. "We are confident that continuing to innovate and offer savings and programs that cater to the lifestyles of our customers is a strong business decision," says Turack. "The CAA Head Start Discount gives CAA Insurance the ability to be responsive to the needs of our customers and to ensure that we are there for them in every stage of life." Parents or legal guardians of safe drivers who are CAA Insurance policyholders in Ontario can talk to an agent or broker to see if their children or dependents are eligible for the discount.
The CRISPR Dilemma: A Road To Saving Lives Riddled with Roadblocks
The New York Times recently published an Op-Ed by Dr. Fyodor Urnov unpacking the incredible advancement and possibilities of CRISPR gene editing technology on human lives. It also addressed some of the roadblocks and challenges preventing this "not so new" technology from getting to the finish line of promise. Dr. Eric Kmiec, the director of ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute, whose unparalleled research has led to over 18 patents that have advanced medical research, also shared his concern in a follow-up letter published by the New York Times about the many roadblocks standing in the way of life-saving opportunities with gene editing and CRISPR technology. Dr. Kmiec (above) in the lab "If we were able to safely and effectively approve a COVID vaccine in a year, we must do the same by pooling public and private funds and seek ways to speed science. Why can’t we support the most promising solutions to some of the longest running and most intractable of cancers or rare diseases?" The advancement of gene editing has not only been stalled by the outdated processes of medical reviews and policies, but many have introduced political and religious barriers. The idea of "playing God" or even Dr. Frankenstein when people hear the term "gene editing" raises ethical questions based on a lack of understanding. Some of these concerns are shared in this recent article in Futurism. Ask one of the 100 people afflicted with a gene defect that could cost them their lives at age 7 and the perspective may be a little different. Nature makes mistakes, often imperfect, and impacted by the ever-changing landscape, impacted by external factors that are either known or unknown. Gene editing, simply put, can fix typos in genes that have experienced a glitch. As Dr. Kmiec puts it, "It allows us to correct mutations that are inbred in the genome, it's correcting nature's mistakes — and nature does make a bunch of mistakes." Whether gene editing fits into a belief system or is too otherworldly for some to grapple with, Dr. Kmiec asserts that speeding up the delays put onto science by process, politics or fear will result in saving lives, saving pain and advancing possibility. Dr. Urnov agrees, "Scientists owe them and their families honesty about the chasm between a test tube in a lab and an IV line in a hospital. The greatest obstacles are not technical but legal, financial and organizational." Gene editing is a pioneering technology that can help humans, plants and animals alike. When it comes to putting it into action, at the very least, if science is there to help, everyone should have the choice to use it.
