Happy New Year! We hope you had a relaxing winter break.

In this month’s Price Post, a new study explains why we shouldn’t call food “vegan,” the USC Price School launches a podcast, and one of our students wins a “Best Paper” award.

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Want to convince people to eat more fruits and vegetables? There may be a simple solution, according to a new USC study: Don’t call the food “vegan.”

• Americans were far less likely to choose a gourmet gift basket without meat or dairy if it was labeled “vegan” or “plant-based,” according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
  
  
• By contrast, labeling the basket “healthy” and/or “sustainable” roughly doubled the likelihood that Americans would choose it.

Why it matters: Studies show that eating less meat and dairy products is better for the environment, given the high amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come with meat and dairy production.

What they’re saying: “The word ‘vegan’ has a negative connotation,” said study co-author Wändi Bruine de Bruin, co-director of the Behavioral Sciences Program at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. “Focusing on the health and environmental benefits is helpful because a lot of people are increasingly concerned about eating food that is healthy and good for the planet.”

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The USC Price School has a new podcast. PricePod, hosted by the Office of Communication’s Christian Hetrick, features interviews with faculty, students and staff about how public policy shapes our lives and communities.

• New episodes drop each month on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
  
  
• The first episode featured Bruine de Bruin, who discussed her research into topics as diverse as climate change communication and election polling.

Have a listen

Congratulations to Hafiza Nofitariani, who won a “Best Paper” award for her research into charitable donation behavior in Indonesia.

• The study surveyed hundreds of donors to examine the giving behavior among different generations, comparing their donation frequency, donation amounts, preferred charities and other habits.

• Nofitariani, who is pursuing a Master in Nonprofit Leadership and Management, won the award at the Southeast Asia International Philanthropy Conference in Malaysia.

In her words: “I find myself interested in learning more about how fundraising and communications can elevate nonprofits in terms of their funding, and then they can deliver their programs well to communities,” Nofitariai said.

Take a bow, Hafiza

Physicians who are notified that a patient has died of a drug overdose are more judicious in issuing controlled substances – if the notification includes a plan for what to do during subsequent patient visits, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

• Doctors who received notifications with additional planning guidance reduced prescriptions of opioids by nearly 13%.They also reduced prescriptions of the anxiety medication benzodiazepines by more than 8%.
  
  
• Together, these drugs constitute the bulk of prescription drug overdoses.

Why it matters: The results suggest that the guidance, known as if/when planning prompts, may lower risks to patients by reducing the intensity and frequency of these prescriptions.

What they’re saying: “Providing physicians a simple plan that will guide them at a patient visit appears to help temper their use of these drugs,” said Jason Doctor, lead author of the study and co-director of the Behavioral Sciences Program at the USC Schaeffer Center. “This represents a promising approach to reducing fatal drug overdoses, one that is both affordable and scalable.”

Keep reading

The City of Los Angeles’ plan to rely entirely on renewable electricity sources by 2035 won’t have a significant effect on the local economy, according to new USC Price School research.

• What they studied: USC Price School Research Professor Adam Rose and former Research Associate Professor Dan Wei co-authored a study estimating the economic impacts of nine scenarios in which L.A would convert its electricity portfolio to 100% renewable sources.
  
  
• What they found: The results, published in Climate Policy, showed that some scenarios may result in slight job gains or losses, but any potential changes would be minuscule in relation to the city’s 3.9 million jobs and $700 billion in GDP.

Why it matters: Critics have labeled renewable energy policies as job killers, while proponents have claimed that ditching fossil fuels will be a panacea for economic development. Yet this study, as well as Rose’s previous research across the U.S., suggests that neither extreme is true. It’s also true that transitioning to renewable energy is critical to combatting climate change and will result in cleaner, healthier air.

What they’re saying: “Our studies have found that the truth is somewhere in the middle, and that the job impacts are usually somewhere between a one-half of 1% to 2% change in the baseline projection,” Rose said. “The main reason to do this is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Learn more

CNN interviewed Bryan Tysinger about insurers not covering popular new weight loss drugs.

Associated Press featured Darius Lakdawalla in a story explaining why Medicare doesn’t cover new weight loss drugs.

Business Insider talked to Christian Grose about the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that Donald Trump should be removed from voting ballots. The Sacramento Bee quoted him about the U.S. Senate race in California.

Washington Post and The Atlantic covered Wändi Bruin de Bruin’s study showing that people were less likely to choose food products described as “vegan” than “healthy” and “sustainable.”

CNN spoke to Karen Van Nuys about CVS promising to make its drug pricing system simpler.

NPR and KFF Health News quoted Paul Ginsburg in a story about older Americans feeling trapped in their Medicare Advantage plans.

Los Angeles Times interviewed Jeffery Jenkins for a story about former Speaker Nancy Pelosi outlasting her GOP counterparts.

Forbes featured Genevieve Kanter about regulation of AI technologies in healthcare.

The Hill talked to Rosalie Pacula about California lawmakers considering streamlining the process for cannabis businesses to obtain permits.

The Sacramento Bee quoted Mindy Romero about House Democrats trying to win over communities of color in congressional elections.

This represents only a portion of recent USC Price faculty media.

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