Health roundup: Most favor assisted suicide, poll says

Your Friday morning health roundup:

Assisted suicide poll: Should physicians be allowed to prescribe drugs that will help people with terminal illnesses (and less than six months to live) end their lives? Fifty-five percent of American adults say yes, finds the latest poll from NPR and Truven Health Analytics. But people over age 65 and those who make less than $25,000 a year are less likely than younger and richer adults to favor the idea.

Alzheimer's support: The U.S. lags behind other countries in supporting families who care for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, says a report released by a Senate committee this month. As a result, unpaid caregivers work for many more hours each week in the United States than they do in France, the United Kingdom, Australia and other similar nations. (New York Times)

Toy gun backlash: Some parents have responded to the Newtown, Conn., tragedy, in which 20 children were shot and killed, by taking away their children's toy guns, TODAY reports. But others, including some psychologists, don't see a strong connection between pretend gun play and real-world violence.

Today's talker: Actress January Jones took dried placenta pills. Singing show judge Simon Cowell inhaled oxygen shots. Swimmer Michael Phelps endorsed peeing in pools. In other words, 2012 was a bad year to take health tips from celebrities, says Sense about Science, an advocacy group based in the United Kingdom. The group's managing director, Tracey Brown, tells Reuters that the mismatch between celebrity health advice and good science seems to be getting worse: "The implausible and frankly dangerous claims about how to avoid cancer, improve skin or lose weight are becoming ever more ridiculous. And unfortunately they have a much higher profile than the research and evidence."