Today's Globe: drug deaths, covering more uninsured, diabetes with arthritis, lead in jewelry, Caritas hires, Medicare marketing curbs, drug-ad limits

Deaths from drugs and alcohol in Boston soared dramatically in 2006, an increase fueled by cheap heroin, the allure of crystal methamphetamine, and the widespread availability of addictive prescription medications.

The authority overseeing the state's healthcare law is exploring ways to cover an additional 30,000 uninsured residents, a step that could increase the annual cost of the program by more than $250 million within a few years.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have arthritis, putting them in a double bind as the pain in their joints keeps them from getting the exercise they need to keep both diseases at bay, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday.

Two trade groups are asking state leaders to delay the implementation of regulations that severely limit lead in children's jewelry, saying the new rules are impossible to meet and will force retailers to pull millions of pieces of jewelry from shelves.

Dr. Ralph de la Torre, the new chief executive of Caritas Christi Health Care, appointed three key members of his management team (second item).

Health insurers selling Medicare medical and drug plans would have to change marketing practices under proposed government rules after complaints that elderly people were talked into buying coverage that didn't meet their needs.

Drug makers, including Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co., have deceptively marketed their products to the public, showing the need to limit drug advertisements, lawmakers and the American Medical Association said.