In 2023, Sheldon Ekirch was diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy, which makes her limbs and muscles feel as if they’re on fire. Specialists recommended a series of infusions to ease her pain, but her insurer refused to pay for the expensive treatment, which it says is “not considered medically necessary.”
Yesterday marked the 36th year that the world observed World No Tobacco Day. This relatively obscure milestone masks a stalled effort to curb consumption of combustible cigarettes and other nicotine-related products. It’s unlikely most people paid any attention.
But the impact of smoking is all around us, even if we don’t see it. Statistics rarely tell a provocative story to compel people to action.
When GLP-1 medications like semaglutide began to gain attention, many people saw them as a breakthrough. For some people, these drugs help lower blood sugar,...