Arizonans Continue to Kick the Habit
We continue to make strides to get Arizonans to Kick the Habit. We got the good news this week that Arizona’s adult smoking rate dropped 2 more percentage points in the last year… going from 19% 2011 to 17% today. The data come from this year’s CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System… and it translates into 72,000 fewer AZ smokers [...]
Flu Near You
Flu Near You is a free tool that’s been made to help in the fight against flu. The way it works is that people like you and I anonymously report each week on whether we had symptoms or flu shots. The information is used to place a dot on a map of the community so flu-like activity to be tracked [...]
Maricopa County Contract Decision Announced
The Department of Administration made a decision about the Regional Behavioral Health Contract for Maricopa County this week. Deputy Director Cory Nelson explains more about the decision and its impact on the current behavioral health service in his blog.
To Spank or Not to Spank?
Finding effective ways to guide kids can be a struggle- especially since each child responds so differently. From “time outs” to “spanking”, parents hope that discipline works to modify behavior. But what about the long-term impact of discipline like spanking? Is it effective in the long-run? A recent study completed and published in the journal of Pediatrics found that kids (ages [...]
Ocean Predators & Pregnancy
There was good news this week about preconception health. A report just out from the EPA found that more women of childbearing age have been avoiding eating the kinds of ocean predators that typically contain mercury (Hg). This is important because mercury can affect the baby’s brain being developed during pregnancy. Mercury is found in the environment, like the air [...]
Enhanced Empower Website Up & Running
Our Empower Program just launched its new and improved website. You’ll recall that Empower is our program that works with more than 2,400 licensed childcare facilities across the state of Arizona reaching more than 200,000 children. Each provider receives a discount on their licensing fees and in return commits to implementing 10 standards that empower kids to make good choices about nutrition, [...]