There are lots of positive ways to contribute to a cleaner, greener world. Every step, no matter what size, makes a difference. It all adds up, and the more who participate the closer we get to a critical mass.
People of color are disproportionately burdened by the effects of substance-use disorders (SUD) in the U.S. Rather than addressing the problem as a public health issue, the U.S. for decades tried to solve drug use through criminal policies.
Meth (methamphetamine) is a synthetic stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. The opioid crisis in the U.S. has received much attention, but some public health experts feel that this epidemic has overshadowed alarming trends in methamphetamine use.
Few studio and network executives today probably know that the landmark 1968 Kerner Commission ever existed, or what it aimed to accomplish. Now, five decades after it was convened to examine the causes of civil unrest in American cities, the commission served as the jumping-off point for a discussion about Hollywood's part in helping to heal a divided society.
Winter 2022 featured our webinar on healthcare workers in pandemic crisis, a series of PSAs we made to encourage vaccinations in Black and Latino communities, a study on plastic pollution in scripted TV shows, the rapid advances in lethal autonomous weapons, and how ageism could compromise artificial intelligence when it comes to the care of older adults.
Jolie Lowe is a recent graduate of Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in intercultural communication and minors in sustainability and Asian studies. Before joining Hollywood, Health & Society, she spent time at the Center for Resource Solutions, where she worked to increase access to renewable energy. She also interned for the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Legislative and External Affairs and for Pepperdine’s Student Activities department, where she strengthened her skills in program support, workshop and discussion facilitation, and event planning.
Among the takeaways that emerged from the webinar discussion about the physical and mental toll on healthcare workers was the fact that the pandemic didn't necessarily cause the crisis, but it did stoke fuel on an already burning fire.
The Feb. 9 event presented by Hollywood, Health & Society, “Clinicians in Crisis: Healthcare Workers Are Suffering; TV Stories Can Help,” featured the following speakers: