National Kick Butts Day, an annual day of activism empowering youth in local communities to “stand out, speak up, and seize control” against tobacco use and the targeting of youth by tobacco companiesis Wednesday March 15, 2017.
Tobacco use continues to plague our youth, and the cigarette and smokeless tobacco companies still heavily target youth spending more than 9 billion dollars on advertising and promotional expenses in the U.S. The Surgeon General reports that nearly nine out of 10 people who smoke, start by age 18, and 99% start before the age of 26.
Although Kick Butts Day is only one day out of the year, Breathe Easy (BE) Teams in Jefferson County are participating in activities to reduce the toll of tobacco in their schools and communities, thus making every day a day of activism and empowerment. BE Teams are youth clubs that are supported by their high schools and Jefferson County Public Health that educate their peers and community members about the problem of tobacco and advocate for sustainable solutions, including policy change.
During the month of February, BE Teams participated in an interactive activity where they wrote break up and rejection letters to “Nic O. Tine,” a fictional character representing all tobacco products and the tobacco industry. Letters stated, “You’re killing my mom – stop taking her money,” and “I need a breather. You’re killing me.” The BE Teams helped organize and facilitate this activity during their schools’ lunch hours in order to educate, involve and inspire their peers. Watch Jeffco Public Schools’ video highlighting the BE Teams’ work!
The pink water bottle Emmy Adams, a junior at Golden High School, carries around isn’t just a way to stay hydrated. It’s a chance for change.
Emmy Adams, president and founder of the Golden High School Environment Club fills her water bottle at one of the school's new filling stations.
“I think that by having refillable drink stations, it helps people drink more water so much more because it is so much more accessible and easier to make the right choice in what you’re drinking,” said Adams, president and founder of the school’s environmental club. The club was instrumental in highlighting the need for water filling stations at Golden High School.
It is estimated that more than half of children in the U.S. don’t drink enough water. A national study published in June 2015 in the American Journal of Public Health found that more than half of American children are dehydrated at any time.
Thanks to the generous contribution from St. Anthony Hospital, eight Jefferson County public schools now have water bottle refill stations to help keep youth and staff hydrated. In addition, posters encouraging healthy beverage consumption were distributed throughout the schools.
Golden High School currently has two filling stations, thanks to donations from Centura Health's St. Anthony Hospital. The school also received donations from other community organizations, which means it will be receiving four additional water bottle filling stations soon.
“Centura Health believes that high quality health happens in our clinics and in the community,” said Dr. Kimberly Bentrott, a Primary Care Physician with Centura Health Physicians Group. “This project is a great example of health happening in schools, and we are proud to be a partner of this work.”
Golden High School currently has two water filling stations, and thanks to donations from other community partners and the hard work of the environment club, four more are on the way.
“People definitely use it,” said Mike Mendoza, a teacher at Golden High School and the sponsor for the environmental club. “It’s just becoming the new norm.”
Drinking water has become a game for the students at Golden High School. Many of them carry around plastic water bottles and throw them in complicated flips to land on the water filling station sensor pad.
Shamik Bhat, a senior at Golden High School, fills his water bottle in one of the two new water filling stations at the school.
Some of them, like Emmy, even regularly check the LED display on the filling station to see how many plastic bottles have been saved. The first week after the stations were installed, Emmy said she checked each hour.
Not only do the water filling stations fulfill the Healthy Jeffco mission to ensure better access and education about healthy beverages, but they also support the Jefferson County Public Health Environmental Health Services goal of maintaining healthy environments. Water filling stations reduce plastic waste from water bottles and other drink containers.
“This planet is such an amazing place that we live in, and there’s just so much to explore and do, and it just makes me realize that you can’t do anything if you don’t have clean air to drink and clean air to breathe,” Adams said, smiling as she explained that her passion for the environment is what makes her want to advocate for sustainable changes, like the refillable drink stations. “My generation are the ones that are really going to have to take action.”
Emmy Adams, junior at Golden High School and president and
founder of the school's environment club, fills her water bottle at one of the
school's new water filling stations. Both of the school's stations have saved the environment more than 2,000 plastic water bottles.
Photos by Nikki Work // Video by Tony Aaron Fuller
Jefferson County Public Health and the JCPH WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program encourage everyone to “Put Your Best Fork Forward” for this year’s National Nutrition Month®.
“Put Your Best Fork Forward” acts as a reminder that each bite counts. Making just small shifts in our food choices, can add up over time. More specifically this year’s theme focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
Making small changes during National Nutrition Month®, and over time, helps improve health now and into the future.
The National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests everyone try the following five ways to make eating healthier easier:
Create an eating style that includes a variety of your favorite, healthful foods.
Practice cooking more at home, and experiment with healthier ingredients.
How much we eat is as important as what we eat. Eat and drink the right amount for you, as MyPlate, a healthy eating tool from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, encourages us to do.
Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.
Manage your weight and lower your health risks by consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist. Registered Dietitian Nutritonists (RDNs) can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.
Eating healthy also means paying close attention to what you and your family are drinking. Many parents and caregivers are not aware of the hidden sugar in many of the beverages that they give to their children. That’s why Jefferson County Public Health, in conjunction with the Healthy Beverage Partnership, is promoting a new campaign aimed at educating parents and caregivers about the harmful effects of sugar, and informing them of the high sugar content in many of the beverages they may be giving to their kids.
Parents are encouraged to visit www.hidden-sugar.org and take a pledge to reduce the amount of sugary drinks they provide to their children. Pledge to serve your family healthy beverages for 30 days and you’ll be automatically entered to win a family plus membership to the Denver Zoo, Children’s Museum, or the Museum of Nature and Science.
JCPH also has more about this topic on display in the Jefferson County libraries throughout the months of March and April, with educational handouts available.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day is celebrated March 8 and raises awareness of registered dietitian nutritionists as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services. JCPH recognizes RDNs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives. Click here to download flyer and Meet the JCPH RDNs. You can also learn more about what they do for the JCPH WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program by watching this video.
Visit http://jeffco.us/public-health for more information on Jefferson County Public Health and the WIC Program, one of the communituy nutrition resources JCPH offers.
The Jefferson County WIC Program is an active member of Healthy Jeffco, a network of over 300 community partners working collectively to make Jefferson County a healthier place to live, learn, work and play.
By
April 9, the American Public Health Association (APHA) has a goal of taking 1
billion steps, and needs your help.
One of
the easiest ways to improve your health is to walk — going for a 5-10
minute walk before breakfast, after dinner or up and down the hall while
talking on the phone or during television commercials is a quick and easy way
to get more exercise during the day.
Starting on Jan. 9, the APHA encouraged anyone interested to sync their step-counting device, such as a Fitbit or a smart phone, or to enter their steps manually on the National Public Health Week website. The challenge runs until April 9, the end of National Public Health Week. Walk on your own or with a team — just start walking!
Dr. Margaret Huffman, Director of Jefferson County Public Health's Community Health Services, along with some Public Health Nurses, have developed a team for the APHA Billion Steps Challenge. The team has a goal of walking 380 miles. They have also challenged the public health nurses from Wyoming, who have also created a team for the Billion Steps program. Dr. Huffman is the current president of the Public Health Nurses Association of Colorado (PHNAC).
To learn more about the 1 Billion Steps Challenge, including how to register and get others involved, click here.
Healthy Jeffco, a network of more than 300 community partners dedicated to furthering our community’s health, also has an Active Living coalition. To learn more or get involved, visit http://www.healthyjeffco.com/activeliving.
Public
Health wishes you a happy and safe St. Patty’s Day 2017.
If you’re celebrating
the Patron Saint of Ireland on March 17 with a pint Green Beer, remember that
moderation is key.
According
to the Centers for Disease Control, a variety of short- and long-term health
risks are associated with alcohol consumption, including motor vehicle crashes,
sexual risk behaviors, violence, high blood pressure and various cancers, like
breast cancer.
The more you drink, the higher the risk.
The
2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that if you consume
alcohol, you do so in moderation — up to one drink per day for women, two
drinks per day for men and never for underage persons or pregnant women.
One
drink is considered 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of
wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor.
Binge
drinking — or a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol
content to .08 percent or higher — is more than 4 drinks in a single occasion
for women or more than 5 drinks for men.
More
than half the alcohol consumed by adults in the U.S. is consumed by binge
drinking, and binge drinking is associated with many health problems, like
unintentional injuries, alcohol poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, liver
disease, unintended pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, neurological damage and
more.
Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to drive impaired than non-binge
drinkers, according to the CDC.
In
2016, nearly 400 impaired drivers were arrested on St. Patrick’s Day in
Colorado. In 2017, that number more than 500, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
This
year, be safe AND have fun on St. Patrick’s Day. If you choose to drink, do so
in moderation.
The
Jefferson County Board of Health will be meeting in the Mt. Bierstadt room at
Jefferson County Public Health, 645 Parfet St., Lakewood, CO 80215. The next
Board of Health meeting will be March 21, 2017 at 7:30 a.m.
The
Board of Health meetings for 2017 are:
March
21
May
16
July
18
September
19
November
21
The
Board of Health conducts a public hearing on the third Tuesday of every other
month. The purpose of the public hearings are to give consideration to variance
and review cases as they pertain to Individual Sewage Disposal System Regulation and other Jefferson County Public Health business. Each meeting
convenes at 7:30 a.m. and devotes the first half hour to a study session on
a Jefferson County Public Health program or service. The study session is
followed by the Board’s general business meeting at 8 a.m. Consideration to
variance and review of cases follows the general business meeting.
Interested
citizens are welcome to attend. For more information, please call the clerk to
the Board of Health at 303-271-5716 or visit the Board of Health web page.
Though March 20 marks the first day of Spring, March is also the snowiest month of the year in Colorado. On average, according to the National Weather Service, the state gets more than 10 inches per month, and in some cases, has gotten more than 30.
That means it’s more important than ever to Be Snow Safe when walking outdoors, traveling, enjoying winter sports or even going about your day-to-day life.
“Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: wear a tightly woven, preferably wind-resistant coat or jacket; inner layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots.
Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches.
Learn safety precautions to follow when outdoors.
Work slowly when doing outside chores.
Take a buddy and an emergency kit when you are participating in outdoor recreation.
Carry a cell phone.
Above all, be ready to check on family and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards: young children, older adults, and the chronically ill. If you have pets, bring them inside. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate, warm shelter and unfrozen water to drink.”
Traveling for Spring Break? Be sure to protect yourself from insects and insect-borne disease, like Zika virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, areas in the southern U.S., Mexico, South and Central America all have reported active Zika virus transmission. Zika can be spread through mosquito bites, from a pregnant woman to her fetus, sexually or through a blood transfusion.
Take the following steps recommended by the CDC to protect yourself from Zika when traveling!
“Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants
Treat clothing and gear with insect repellent
Use insect repellent and always follow label instructions
When used properly, most insect repellent is safe on pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old.
Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children younger than 3.
Stay in places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
Take steps to control mosquitoes inside and outside your home.
Mosquito netting can be used to cover babies younger than 2 months old in carriers, strollers, or cribs.
Sleep under a mosquito bed net if air conditioned or screened rooms are not available or if sleeping outdoors.
Prevent sexual transmission of Zika by using condoms or not having sex.”
Flu
activity in Colorado continued to increase throughout February.
So far
this flu season, which started Oct. 2, 2016, and as of the most recent
available data on February 18, 1,797 people in Colorado have been hospitalized
with confirmed cases of influenza.Jefferson Countyaccounts for 179 of the state’s 1,797
lab-confirmed flu cases this year, about one-tenth.
In 2015, Colorado ranked 14th among U.S. states for childhood immunizations,
with over 24 percent of children under-immunized at 36 months of age and 472
Colorado children hospitalized with vaccine-preventable diseases, resulting in
$35 million in hospital and emergency department charges.
That’s according to
an independent report released today by the Colorado Children’s Immunization
Coalition (CCIC) and Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado). The
report, Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Colorado’s Children, also finds that in
17 Colorado counties less than 50 percent of children are up to date on routine
immunizations – well below the coverage level necessary to prevent the spread
of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Prepared annually by pediatricians and researchers from the
Department of Epidemiology at Children’s Colorado, the report provides an
analysis of the state of health of Colorado’s children based on the most recent
National Immunization Survey, Colorado Hospital Association inpatient and
emergency department data and Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment data.
The report examines vaccination rates, hospitalizations and
costs associated with vaccine-preventable disease in children. For the first
time, the report also includes emergency department visits for
vaccine-preventable diseases, county-level rates and school exemption data.
Findings show that, despite improvement, there are significant gaps in
vaccinating Colorado’s children.
Local health departments in the Denver Metro area work to
increase vaccination rates in our communities as an important and life-saving
public health practice. Colorado’s current rate of children immunized with
all of the recommended vaccines remains well below the majority of U.S. states
and the national goal of 90 percent, with under-vaccination resulting in
preventable childhood illness, hospitalization and death.
Jefferson County Public Health is part of the Denver Metro
Alliance for HPV Prevention, a regional collaborative working to increase human
papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates across five counties in the Denver
metropolitan area. Other members include Denver Public Health, Tri-County
Health Department, the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition and the Adult
and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science. The
project is funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s
Amendment 35 grant program to address cancer, childhood obesity, and tobacco
use and exposure in and around the Denver Metro area. For more information,
please visit HPVFreeCO.org.
Get your child vaccinated!
Jefferson County Public Health will offer low cost immunizations
to the children in the community at the Shots for Tots and Teens clinic on
Saturday, March 4, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Arvada Fire Station #2, 5250 Oak
Street.
Orlando Lucero, 7, watches as Mountain View Fire Rescue fire-medic Micah Arnold applies a bandage to
the site of his vaccine at the Shots for Tots and Teens clinic Feb. 4, 2017 in Arvada.
National Kick Butts Day, an annual day of activism empowering youth in local communities to “stand out, speak up, and seize control” against tobacco use and the targeting of youth by tobacco companies is Wednesday March 15, 2017. 
