The Arizona State Public Health Laboratory protects you and your loved ones in ways you may not realize. In addition to licensure and certification services for laboratories across Arizona, the state lab tests air, food, water, and clinical samples for a murderer’s row of public health threats, including tuberculosis, heavy metal toxins, pesticides, and radioactive [...]
Changes to your housing can be exciting and sometimes stressful life events. Whether you’re moving into a new home, doing renovations, evaluating your home’s current condition, or selling it, there’s one important action item you should include on your to-do list: testing your house’s radon levels. Radon is an invisible, odorless, and tasteless gas that [...]
The state of Arizona, along with the rest of the nation, is confronting a troubling surge in opioid-related overdose deaths, with illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids playing a pivotal role. The Arizona Department of Health Services recently published the Opioid Overdoses Surveillance Report, Arizona, 2022. The latest available data unveils a complex scenario demanding [...]
Approaching the end of the year for many people means reflecting on the past 12 months and choosing what paths our lives will take as we ring in 2024. A new year can be an opportunity for transformation and commitment to renew personal goals. Whether you’re resolving to make significant changes or to enjoy your [...]
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was charged with creating the Justice Reinvestment Program through the passage of Prop 207 in November 2020. The proposition legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older as well as created initiatives to increase safety and community resilience around arrest and incarceration, including the Justice Reinvestment Program. [...]
New HIV cases increased over the past year and so has access to services for those who need them. The rise in cases follows a dip in newly diagnosed cases due to reduced testing during COVID-19 lockdowns and mitigation measures. The HIV Surveillance program’s latest Annual Report shows there were 975 new cases in 2022 [...]
During this holiday season, you may celebrate with family and friends over a meal or two. If you’re the person cooking that feast, your loved ones are counting on you for more than a delicious meal. They're counting on you to keep health and safety in mind as you create your culinary delights. The American [...]
If you're like most people, you've been busy the past few months. Fall is such a busy time for many people, and now we're in the middle of the holiday season and all its activities. It's understandable if you haven't had the chance to get your annual flu shot. But there's still time. In fact, [...]
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, one key challenge was getting an accurate picture of COVID-19 infection rates in communities, especially for people who had COVID-19 but weren’t experiencing symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to get better visibility into infection rates and [...]
The morning of Nov. 18 started off with cool temperatures and long-awaited rain as a team of volunteers set up to celebrate the adoption of approximately 100 Arizona children. As the rain stopped and the sun broke through the clouds, the first families began to arrive at the annual Maricopa County Superior Court’s National Adoption Day [...]
