
Alex Smith
Alex Smith began working in radio as an intern at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters. A few years and a couple of radio jobs later, he became the assistant producer of KCUR's magazine show, KC Currents. In January 2014 he became KCUR's health reporter.
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Gun buying among African Americans is up in recent years, and so are suicide rates among young Black men.
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Gun buying among African Americans has soared in recent years. So have suicide rates among young black men. Gun safety efforts and suicide prevention need to address race and cultural differences.
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A new nationwide study found that state laws allowing people to use deadly force in self defense were associated with increases in gun violence.
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The environmental movement is doing more to address the psychological toll on activists and volunteers, encouraging resilience and self-care to counteract anxiety and grief over planetary damage.
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After her son's death, a mother in the Midwest promotes mental health for environmentalists. It's part of a larger push to address the burnout and psychological stress that can affect activists.
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Missouri had the 4th highest rate in the country of residents taking benzodiazepines, and that was before the pandemic amped up anxiety. Experts say that long term use of these medications can cause lasting problems for patients.
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Data collection for race and ethnicity vary among states, complicating efforts to distribute COVID-19 shots to all groups. In Missouri, health officials have questioned the data's usefulness.
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To avoid racial or ethnic disparities in vaccination rates, health officials are doing outreach. But demographic data quality varies between states. In Missouri, there are errors they can't quite fix.
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Absent statewide mandates, local communities should continue to use preventive measures to ensure safe working conditions, an expert said.
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Excess deaths in Missouri well exceeded the official count of residents killed by the coronavirus.