ALCOHOL USE: More than 8,000 New Yorkers die prematurely each year because of excessive alcohol use, data from the Department of Health shows. Binge drinking and heavy alcohol consumption – behaviors reported by 1 in 6 state residents – are a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., prompting state health officials to raise awareness about potential harms of excessive alcohol use. The Department of Health highlighted the data in recognition of alcohol awareness month, which is observed during the month of April.
CDPAP PROTEST: Home care users and caregivers are planning to protest in front of the New York State Capitol at 12:30 p.m. today to draw attention to continued payment challenges for home care workers amid the state’s home care consolidation. The state is weeks into a transition of the consumer-directed personal assistance program that has put a single company, Public Partnerships LLC or PPL, in charge of collecting timesheets and paying workers. But initial reports show that the company has cut paychecks to a fraction of workers in the program, leaving home care users and advocates fearful that caregivers will leave the system in search of other jobs. Protesters plan to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to demand action from PPL, according to Caring Majority, an advocacy group organizing the event that has been a vocal opponent of the transition.
