Latest news with #ShaunAbreu
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New York implements innovative new strategy to reduce its 3 million-strong rat population: 'You can't let these rats run your life'
In the city where pizza rats are as famous as pigeons, New York is trying a new tactic in its long war against rodents: birth control. Starting April 26, the city began distributing contraceptive pellets to rats in designated "rat mitigation zones," hoping to slow their explosive population growth, reported CBS News New York. The pilot program will begin in Harlem and expand on broader efforts to control the pests more humanely and, hopefully, more effectively. New York City ranked among the top three rattiest cities in the U.S. in 2024, with an estimated population of 3 million, according to pest control company Orkin. But extermination efforts, including rat poison, have come under fire for harming pets and wildlife — like Flaco the owl, who died last year after ingesting a poisoned rat. In response, Councilmember Shaun Abreu led the passage of "Flaco's Law," which funds a new contraceptive program to target rats at the source. "Two rats in a given year can reproduce 15,000 descendants," Abreu warned. With help from the company WISDOM Good Works, the city will begin distributing fertility control pellets in high-traffic rat areas. Officials said the pellets are designed to disrupt reproduction in rats without poisoning the food chain. Still, some residents remain skeptical. "They're not little babies no more," said Middle Village resident Cookie Barbara, who told CBS News New York she's considering hiring a private exterminator after seeing rats grow bolder in her neighborhood. "You can't let these rats run your life," her neighbor Debbie said. It's not just about squeamish sidewalk encounters. New York's rat boom is a public health issue rooted in deeper environmental problems. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Population growth, aging infrastructure, poor waste management, and climate-change–driven urban shifts have created ideal conditions for rats. Warmer winters and overflowing trash provide rats with year-round food and shelter, helping them thrive. Unchecked, rats can spread disease, contaminate food, and damage buildings. And as rodenticide use climbs, so does the risk to pets and predators that eat poisoned rats. The problem is as much about how we live — and throw away — as it is about the rats themselves. Beyond the birth control rollout, the city has invested in trash containerization in neighborhoods like Harlem, cutting rat complaints by 55% in some areas. Education is another focus. Rat Czar Kathleen Corradi now hosts "Rat Walks" to teach New Yorkers how waste habits attract rats. "The only way we are successful is getting an educated public change in behaviors and addressing those conditions that support rats. Extermination will always be a part of the conversation, but we know the long-term success relies on front-end equation, and that's where we're really focusing and empowering New Yorkers," Corradi told ABC News. Residents can help by securing their trash, reporting infestations, and avoiding poison. Humane and preventative approaches, experts said, are the most sustainable path forward — for humans, animals, and ecosystems alike. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
NYC rolling out rat birth control this month. What to know about the city's new strategy for reducing rodents
New York City is preparing to roll out an unconventional strategy for tackling its rodent problem: rat birth control. The city says its pilot program goes into effect April 26, distributing pellets to select rat mitigation zones beginning in Harlem. "Two rats in a given year can reproduce 15,000 descendants," New York City Councilmember Shaun Abreu said. "We have to go at the source." As chair of the sanitation committee, he led the successful push for Flaco's Law , the rat contraceptive initiative named for the beloved owl that died last year after consuming rat poison . Abreu estimates zones could start seeing a difference in as little as six months. "We know these pellets are going to be attractive to rats because they're sweet. There's a compound in it called triptolide that targets ovarian function in female rats and sperm production in male rats," he said. Animal welfare organizations including PETA have shared support for the program's mission to keep poison out of the mouths of pets and wildlife. The New York City Department of Health and Hygiene says Flaco's Law will work in tandem with existing containerization rules , which they say have helped bring down 311 complaints of rat sightings citywide , down 24% year-over-year in January 2025 compared to January 2024. You can email Elle with Queens story ideas by CLICKING HERE .
CBS News
26-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
New NYC law will establish free sleep apnea screening program
Sleep apnea screenings will be free for New Yorkers under a new law passed Wednesday. Councilman Shaun Abreu's bill will ensure the city provides free sleep apnea screenings and at-home sleep tests as part of a three-year program, along with launching a public awareness campaign called "More Than a Snore" to educate New Yorkers about the symptoms. The law goes into effect on June 15. "Sleep apnea interrupts your air flow and oxygen to your brain, and 80% of people that have sleep apnea don't know that they have it," Abreu said. Approximately 30 million Americans have sleep apnea, and Abreu says too many New Yorkers aren't getting diagnosed when they should be. Abreu himself was diagnosed with sleep apnea after a friend said what he had was "more than a snore." "My snore was that of a freight train about a year ago, and getting that early testing allowed me to figure out I have sleep apnea," he said. He was given a mouth guard and says he's dropped around 40 pounds. "I feel I have better energy. I feel more present," Abreu said. "It's such an important initiative because sleep apnea has been a condition that has been underdiagnosed for several decades," said Dr. Ana Krieger, director of the Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine. "Last year, the American Heart Association highlighted the importance of sleep apnea screening." At the Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center, Dr. Andrew Varga says the number of patients booking appointments is increasing. "What people are coming for are complaints that sounds like it might be sleep apnea with snoring, choking or gasping at night, daytime sleepiness or cognitive dysfunction during the day," Varga said. "The vast majority of the time, I am prescribing home sleep testing." As far as treatment options, Abreu says he has another piece of legislation that addresses that. "It is the city that never sleeps and sometimes it can come at a cost, and maybe they're not sleeping because they have sleep apnea. We should figure out what came first," Abreu said. The CPAP machine is one of the most common ways to treat sleep apnea. Doctors say those diagnosed with mild sleep apnea may not even need a machine, and sometimes the condition can be resolved with weight management. Mount Sinai says it's currently organizing a study to look at whether the treatment of sleep apnea can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
