State Comparison of Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health
A new report is out that provides a state-by-state comparison of a wide range of behavioral health issues. Every state has to deal with some significant challenges with mental illness and substance abuse. For example, among people 12 and older, Alaska’s current illicit drug use rate more than double that in Iowa (13% versus 5%), yet Iowa was among the [...]
Another Tool for our Laboratory Toolbox
New testing equipment at the state lab is going to help us with flu tracking this fall and dramatically speed up testing for Tuberculosis. The instrument called the Gene Xpert looks for DNA mutations – we can tell if a TB case is resistant to certain antibiotics. For instance, on specific mutation is a marker for rifampin resistance. It used to take [...]
Legal Action Filed Against “Cannabis Clubs”
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post expressing concerns about the legality of so-called cannabis clubs that have been popping up recently. It appeared to me that the clubs are distributing marijuana to customers in a way that’s inconsistent with the provisions of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act- and the persons involved could be conducting illegal marijuana transactions... which [...]
Social Media and Emergencies
Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube… all these social media outlets are changing the way people communicate… with their friends, co workers, and even about breaking news. In the power outage in the Valley last month, SRP provided speedy updates for their customers about when the power would be back on and where they could pick up ice – much faster than local [...]
It’s World Breastfeeding Week
Breastfeeding is one of the foundations of public health – it protects the health of the mother and the baby. A special week like this helps people remember the benefits and encourages folks to support mothers who want to breastfeed. CDC Vital Signs Report this week talks about reducing the change of having an overweight child goes down with each [...]
Guillain Barré Investigation Update
Last month I told you about a rare cluster of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) along the US-Mexico border near Yuma, AZ. Since then, we’ve identified 8 more cases for a total of 24 (7 in AZ, 17 in Sonora). GBS is a rare condition that results in paralysis of the legs, but can sometimes affect the arms and face. While the exact cause [...]