TY - JOUR T1 - Global news highlights JF - Injury Prevention JO - Inj Prev SP - 309 LP - 310 DO - 10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042153 VL - 22 IS - 4 AU - Ivan Barry Pless Y1 - 2016/08/01 UR - http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/22/4/309.abstract N2 - Senator Tim Kaine announced his support for legislation that would lift what was, in effect, a 20 year ban on firearms safety and gun violence prevention research at the CDC. Kaine said, “It's time to put politics aside and provide the agency resources to do its job. Additionally, a more robust background record check system would help prevent people who are legally barred from owning a firearm from obtaining one”. Comment: After I wrote the above the Orlando massacre occurred. Subsequently, several attempts to improve gun safety were rejected by the US Senate. This included an Act that would increase the CDC appropriation; require private gun transfers to run background checks and maintain records on buyers; and penalise states that fail to make data electronically available to the National Instant Criminal Background Checks System. Also under consideration was legislation to remove gun manufacturers' liability shield.The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) gives a prescriber or pharmacist information regarding a patient's controlled substance prescription history. This can help identify patients who would benefit from early interventions. A study in Health Affairs used data from a national survey to assess the effects of the PDMP on the prescribing of opioid analgesics at the point of care in 24 states from 2001 to 2010. The implementation of the Programme was associated with more than a 30% reduction in the rate of prescribing of opioids. This reduction was seen immediately following the launch of the programme and was maintained in the second and third years afterwards.One in six childhood injuries in Iraq were caused by violence compared with only one in 50 worldwide. These injuries resulted in a 10-fold greater rate of deaths and disability than those injured by other means. The study, published in Surgery, notes that aid groups must also focus … ER -