Health Highlights: March 11, 2016

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

U.S. Senate Passes Drug Treatment and Prevention Bill

An extensive drug treatment and prevention bill was passed Thursday by the U.S. Senate in response to a drug addiction and overdose crisis that kills more Americans than car crashes.

The bill would provide money for treatment and prevention programs for many addicts, including those in jail. It also boosts prescription drug monitoring programs to assist states and widens police access to the overdose treatment naloxone, The New York Times reported.

The measure also increases the number of disposal sites for prescription medications, which are abused by a growing number of people.

The bill, passed 94 to 1, is the largest of its kind since a 2008 law that made insurance coverage for addiction mandatory, the AP reported.

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California Bill Would Raise Legal Smoking Age from 18 to 21

A measure to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 was passed Thursday by California lawmakers.

If approved by Gov. Jerry Brown, California would join Hawaii in having the higher age limit, the Associated Press reported.

Another of six related bills approved by California lawmakers would restrict electronic cigarettes the same as tobacco products. E-cigarettes are not regulated by the federal government.

The bills are California’s most significant anti-tobacco push in nearly two decades, according to the American Cancer Society.

“With California having such a huge population, it’s going to be very impactful nationwide,” said Cathy Callaway, associate director of state and local campaigns for the American Cancer Society, the AP reported.

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Two U.S. Military Members Get Zika Infections

Two members of the U.S. military in South America were infected with the Zika virus, but have recovered and returned to duty, a top official says.

Both were men and it was a “fairly straightforward procedure” to recover from the virus, Navy Adm. Kurt Tidd, head of U.S. Southern Command, told the Associated Press.

Both men are still in South America, one in Brazil and the other in Colombia.

Tidd also said one female service member who is pregnant was transferred out of the region as a precaution, the AP reported.

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Nestle Recalls DiGiorno Pizzas, Lean Cuisine Over Concerns About Glass Pieces

Food giant Nestle is recalling certain lots of a wide range of products due to concerns they might contain small bits of glass, the company said Thursday.

The products in question include DiGiorno frozen pizzas, Lean Cuisine meals, and Stouffer’s lasagnas and souffles, the company said in a statement.

“No injuries have been reported,” the statement said. “We are recalling these products because they may contain small pieces of glass that may cause injury. Although our investigation is ongoing, we believe the source of the glass is spinach that was an ingredient common to the products subject to this recall.”

Nestle said the recall was ordered out of “an abundance of caution after several consumers reported that they had found small pieces of glass in some of these products.”

The recalled products include certain lots of:

• DiGiorno Thin & Crispy Spinach and Garlic Pizza
• DiGiorno Rising Crust Spinach and Mushroom Pizza
• DiGiorno pizzeria Thin Crust Spinach and Mushroom Pizza
• DiGiorno pizzeria Tuscan-style Chicken Pizza
• Lean Cuisine Spinach and Mushroom Pizza
• Lean Cuisine Spinach Artichoke Ravioli
• Lean Cuisine Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli
• Lean Cuisine Spinach, Artichoke & Chicken Panini
• Lean Cuisine Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli
• Stouffer’s Vegetable Lasagna (10 oz., 37 oz. and 96 oz. sizes)
• Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle
• Stouffer’s Chicken Lasagna

For a detailed list of the label production code numbers for products affected by the recall, head to Nestle’s website.

“Consumers who may have purchased the products listed above should not consume them but should instead contact Nestle Consumer Services at 1-800-681-1676,” the company statement said.

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