Trending News Today: Lowering Arsenic in Water Tied to Fewer Cancers

GOP lawmakers recently announced a new bill that would reinstate subsidies and make other significant changes to the Affordable Care Act, according to ABC News. The Republican plan would suspend tax penalties to uninsured Americans and employers who do not provide coverage, in addition to bolstering the use of health savings accounts, according to the report. The new proposal goes beyond what was included in the bipartisan bill due to uncertainty whether it would gain support from the president and House Republicans, according to the article.

New York Gov Andrew Cuomo recently outlawed smoking electronic cigarettes in bars, restaurants, and workplaces, according to The New York Times. Although some local businesses have implemented the rules, the new bill makes the ban consistent throughout the state. The governor said that while e-cigarettes are marketed as less harmful than cigarettes, they carry health risks and adding them to the indoor smoking ban will allow New Yorkers to be healthier, according to the article.

In 2006, the EPA lowered the maximum allowable arsenic in public water to 10 milligrams per liter. This rule was recently found to have lowered incidences of lung, bladder, and skin cancers, according to The New York Times. After the rule was enacted, there was a 17% reduction in urinary arsenic levels and 200 to 900 fewer cases of lung and bladder cancers and 50 fewer cases of skin cancer, the Times reported. These findings suggest that lowering arsenic levels in water is beneficial for health; however, removing arsenic is costly and may be challenging for small cities, according to the article.