New Data shows Legionnaires’ Disease on the Rise
A recent CDC Vital Signs has highlighted Legionnaire’s Disease, a serious lung infection (pneumonia) caused by a type of bacterium “Legionella”. In the United States every year, about 5,000 people are infected with Legionnaire’s disease and about 10 percent who get sick will die due to these infections. The number of people with Legionnaire’s disease grew by nearly four times from 2000 to 2014. [...]
Are You Prepared for Antibiotic Stewardship in Arizona?
Last Saturday our Healthcare-Associated Infections Program and Antimicrobial Stewardship Subcommittee members presented at the 2016 Arizona Pharmacy Association Annual Convention. Their presentation “A National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistance: Are You Prepared?” was attended by over 200 Arizona pharmacists. Discussions included: Global initiatives to improve the use of antibiotics, including programs in the United States Major elements of the White House’s plan to combat antibiotic resistance [...]
Recycling Land for Healthier Communities
On June 2, our Office of Environmental Health sponsored a Land Recycling and New Tools for Creating Healthier Communities and Economic Growth workshop at the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix. The primary focus of the workshop was on how to improve community health through the reuse or redevelopment of property to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants, increase access to healthy food, and increase access to [...]
As Monsoon Season Starts Take Steps to Keep Your Family Safe
Governor Ducey proclaimed this week (June 12-17) as Monsoon Awareness Week in Arizona. While we haven’t yet been hit by the rain we expect during monsoon, we’re anticipating another summer of severe weather. Monsoons in Arizona can be associated with extreme heat, thunderstorms, dust storms, flash floods and wildfires. For public health, this means revisiting our preparedness plans and ramping up our efforts to [...]
E-Cigarettes are the Next Battlefront in Tobacco Prevention
In the last several years electronic cigarettes have gained popularity, especially among youth, as a “safe” alternative to traditional cigarettes. A recent report from the CDC showed that while youth smoking rates are decreasing nationwide and in Arizona, there has been a significant rise in the use of e-cigarettes. The report showed that the rise in use of e-cigarettes is directly proportional [...]
Reducing Tobacco Use in Arizona: Keeping Our Foot On the Gas
Arizona has been among the nation’s leaders in helping its residents quit using tobacco, and even better, never start using tobacco. Thanks to our dedicated staff in the Bureau of Tobacco and Chronic Disease and countless partners in communities throughout Arizona, I’m pleased to report that our commitment to success has only intensified. In the past two years we have achieved unprecedented [...]