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Those With Darker Skin Might Be More Susceptible To Nicotine Addiction, Study Finds

Blacks and others with darker skin might be at greater risk for tobacco addiction than whites and those with lighter skin because the greater the amount of melanin, the coloring pigment in skin, the more nicotine appears to be stored, according to preliminary findings published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the New York Times reports. For the study, lead researcher Gary King, a professor of biobehavioral health at Pennsylvania State University, looked at 150 black smokers and measured their levels of melanin and cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine. They also surveyed the participants to determine the level of their smoking habit. Those with the most melanin were found to smoke the most and have the most cotinine in their system. They also had the highest level of dependence on tobacco. The findings might indicate why some people are more affected by nicotine than others, according to the study (Nagourney, New York Times, 5/19).
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House Speaker Pelosi Works To Appease Concern Over Abortion Issues In Health Reform Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday held a private meeting with antiabortion-rights Democratic Reps. Mike Doyle (Pa.) and Tim Ryan (Ohio) in an attempt to quell pressure to exclude abortion coverage from the House health reform bill (HR 3200), Roll Call reports. Joined by abortion-rights supporter Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) -- Pelosi"s "point person" on the Energy and Commerce Committee -- Pelosi attempted to broker areas of agreement on the issue, according to Roll Call. However, antiabortion-rights Democrats contend that, beyond Wednesday"s meeting, Pelosi has not responded to their concerns by making changes to the House bill (Bendery, Roll Call, 7/22).The House bill does not mention abortion, but antiabortion-rights critics of the measure say it could increase availability of the procedure by requiring health insurance plans to cover services and by providing government funding for subsidized plans, according to the Washington Post. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said this week that decisions on specific benefits like abortion services should be "left to medical experts in the field," such as a proposed advisory board that would make recommendations on minimum benefits that private insurers must offer. Ryan and a group of centrist Democrats have proposed an amendment that would neither require nor prohibit insurers from covering abortion services, as long as federal funding is not used. Their proposal also says that current state restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion services would remain in effect (Eggen/Stein, Washington Post, 7/23). Currently, private insurers are neither required nor forbidden to cover abortion services. The Hyde Amendment and other federal measures prohibit the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except in very limited cases. Some states use their own money to cover the procedure for low-income women (Stein, Washington Post, 7/23).Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich), co-chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, said abortion-rights supporters in the House "can continue to ignore us if they want, but at their peril." He added that the bill should maintain current restrictions on federal funding for abortion. Stupak was among a group of Democrats who sent a letter to Pelosi in June threatening to oppose any health reform bill that does not explicitlyч forbid federal fundingч from being usedч for abortion services (Roll Call, 7/22). The Post reports that the health care reform debate has "reignited" claims from antiabortion-rights groups that President Obama"s efforts to find common ground on abortion-related policies are an attempt "to paper over ... support for abortion rights with policies that will do little" to reduce the number of abortions." Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, said that Obama "says he wants to reduce abortions" but that "the actual policies that this administration is promoting will result in massive public subsidies for abortion and result in a massive increase in the number of abortions." Abortion-rights opponents plan to hold a rally Thursday against the House health reform bill, and Americans United for Life has demanded a meeting with the president to discuss the issue of abortion coverage in health reform.Abortion-rights groups and Democratic leaders say opponents" allegations are exaggerated and an attempt to use the health reform debate to further restrict access to legal abortion services under private insurance plans. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said, "This is the kind of divisiveness that the public has grown very tired of."The debate over covering abortion services comes as Ryan and abortion-rights supporter Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) prepare to introduce a bill that aims to reduce the need for abortion by encouraging pregnancy prevention and increasing government support for young women with children. The bill has generated "an unusual array of supporters" -- including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, NARAL Pro-Choice America and evangeli