Health Report - Separate stories podcast

In the US, companies have jumped on the trend of people abstaining from alcohol in January and offered THC as an alternative.
It raises the question – is THC, or cannabis more broadly, a healthier alternative to alcohol?
And what are the health benefits of avoiding alcohol for a month?
Guest/s
Professor Michael Farrell, director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW
References
Alcohol consumption and mortality from four alcohol-related cancers in Australia 1950-2018: a time series analysis

Palliative care is designed to support people with life-limiting illnesses, but many people aren’t accessing it until they’re close to death.
That’s despite research showing that accessing care early can improve quality of life and alleviate suffering.
A new study has found early palliative care is associated with a higher likelihood of dying at home.
It is also linked to a lower likelihood of hospital admissions in the final month of life.
Guest/s
Associate Professor Chris Schilling, health economist in the centre for palliative care at the University of Melbourne
References
Early Palliative Care and Quality of End-of-Life Care for People With Terminal Cancer, Victoria, 2018–2023: A Retrospective, Population-Based Cohort Study

In some places in Australia, women are notified of how dense their breasts are after they’ve undergone their routine mammogram.
Dense breasts can be a risk factor for cancer, and can also make it harder to detect.
But notifying women can cause anxiety and confusion, not only because of the risks, but because of the out-of-pocket costs that follow.
Guest/s
Dr Brooke Nickel, senior research fellow in the school of public health at the University of Sydney
References
Impact of population based breast density notification: multisite parallel arm randomised controlled trial in BreastScreen

For the first time since the pandemic began, we haven't seen a significant spike in COVID-19 cases over the holidays. 
However there has been a rise in flu cases, with a strain spreading that evades the vaccines. 
The United States could lose its measles elimination status, but a senior CDC official says it's "the cost of doing business". 
And a new review reiterates what experts have been saying about paracetamol and autism. 
References
NSW respiratory surveillance
Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’
Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.
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