Earth Day is Every Day at Jefferson County Public Health

"Some people who talk about the environment talk about it as though it involves only a question of clean air and clean water. The environment involves the whole broad spectrum of man's relationship to all other living creatures, including other human beings. It involves the environment in its broadest and deepest sense.”
- Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day

Public Health is all about preventing illness and disease in our communities and while April 22, 2015, is reserved as Earth Day, every day is earth day at Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH). Creating healthier communities involves taking a close look at what makes us healthy or sick to begin with. The Jefferson County Public Health 2013 annual report highlights some of the work we are continually doing to improve health for everyone in the county.  A report released in 2014 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Time to Act: investing in the Health of our Children and Communities urges that we integrate health into community development, especially for low-income neighborhoods.  JCPH is committed to working with agencies, businesses and the community towards creating a healthier county for all to live, work, play and age.

Jefferson County Public Health's Environmental Health Services (EHS) works to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling harmful environmental factors in Jefferson County.  EHS prevents, investigates and responds to health threats in the County from environmental sources such as our air, land, water, the food we eat and the domestic and wild animals and insects we encounter. EHS also inspects facilities including schools, daycares and restaurants for adherence to public health safety and disease control measures.  Information, resources and referrals are available from specialists in water quality, air quality, consumer protection and environmental protection. 

Resources and services include, but are not limited to, the following topics; air pollution, water pollution, individual sewage disposal systems, solid waste, drinking water, food borne illnesses, food service inspections, child care inspections, recycling and radon mitigation. For more information on any environmental health service, please call 303-232-6301, or visit the JCPH EHS web page. 

Every division in Jefferson County, including the health department, practices environmental stewardship through reuse, recycling, energy conservation, and water conservation.  These actions are good for people and the planet.  Everyone has a role in protecting our earth and natural resources.  Consider bringing your own shopping bag to the store, recycling household hazardous waste as well as other household items, using water thoughtfully and saving energy when possible.  Together we can make a difference. 

Learn more about Earth Day and its founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson.   Earth Day . . . The making of the modern environmental movement.  www.nelsonearthday.net    Accessibility on the web continues a Gaylord Nelson focus of making environmental knowledge freely available to all citizens so that local and national decisions could be informed, collaborative, and effective.

Resources:

• Visit the JCPH web page for more information on Environmental Health Services
• View the JCPH recycling resource page
• Check out the Denver Post’s listings of Earth Day Events
• Visit Rooney Road Recycling

Take Steps Now to Eliminate Radon Gas from Your Home . . . January is National Radon Action Month

Jefferson County Public Health encourages all residents to have their homes tested for radon gas, a naturally occurring gas that you can’t see, smell, or taste, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 500 Coloradans each year.

Elevated levels of radon have been found in homes all across the country. In Colorado, 52 of its 64 counties are at high risk for radon. Due to the gas’s unpredictable nature, two houses right next to each other may have very different radon levels. Testing is the only way to know for certain if you and your loved ones are at risk.

January is an excellent time to test your home. Testing requires all windows and doors be closed, but is simple to do. Residents in Jefferson and Gilpin counties can purchase short-term test kits for $10.00 at Jefferson County Public Health. Visit the Lakewood office at 645 Parfet Street, Lakewood, CO  80215, to pick-up your testing kit. Long-term test kits are also available at local hardware stores, supermarkets and other retail outlets.

For more information on radon, radon testing, and radon mitigation call 1-800-846-3986 or JCPH Environmental Specialist John Moody at 303-271-5714.

Resources:

• Jefferson County Public Health website – jeffco.us/public-health
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Environmental Protection Agency website - www.epa.gov/radon/nram/

Earth Day

"Some people who talk about the environment talk about it as though it involved only a question of clean air and clean water. The environment involves the whole broad spectrum of man's relationship to all other living creatures, including other human beings. It involves the environment in its broadest and deepest sense. It involves the environment of the ghetto which is the worst environment, where the worst pollution, the worst noise, the worst housing, the worst situation in this country -- that has to be a critical part of our concern and consideration in talking and cleaning up the environment."- Gaylord Nelson Read more from the source document.

The words above, spoken on April 19, 1970 by the founder of Earth Day are as pertinent today as they were 40 years ago. Read this article to gain insight on how Your zipcode can determine your health. Our environment includes the natural world and the physical environments we create, also known as built environments. Jefferson County Public Health strives to protect the earth through its programs and services designed not only to reduce environmental health hazards but also to promote healthy living.

Light Rail Comes to JEFFCO . . . Look for the Public Health display
This coming April 27, 2013 Jefferson County will celebrate RTDs light rail coming to Jefferson County. Look for the Jefferson County Public Health display and learn more about public health’s commitment to the health of its community. http://jeffco.us/health.

• For more information on JCPH Environmental Health Services please visit the JCPH Environmental Health Services web page or call 303-271-5700. For more information on built environments and improving access to healthy eating and active living, please contact Molly Hanson, Health Policy Analyst at mhanson@jeffco.us .

Why's Your Trash Up In My Grill?

Monday mornings usually hit quicker than many of us would like.  I often spend my commute thinking about what the day will bring, trying to remember what I left on my desk Friday afternoon as I dashed out the door to enjoy the weekend.  This morning, however, my thoughts were interrupted by the driver in front of me.  The motorist, in a new powder blue Jeep Cherokee, was using the highways as a trash bin.  At first, there was a cigarette butt, sparks flying as it bounced across the pavement.  A mile down the road, came the left overs and containers of McDonald’s breakfast items. Paper, cardboard and yellow arches flying into the grill of my car. 

I’m not sure why it bothered me so much, it was not the first time I’ve experienced littering drivers, but this time, I wanted to let the driver know the action had not gone unnoticed.  The signal on the Cherokee indicated that the driver was about to get over to my right.  I just HAD to see who this person was. This person who felt like the world was a trash can.  Was it a man? Woman?  Old? Young?  Did they not know about littering?

As I inched up to get a look, I saw the culprit. The driver was a woman in her late 40’s with pulled back hair and modest makeup.   As I steadied my car, even with hers, she looked at me with a shocked look.  She probably had no idea why I was shaking my head at her and giving her that same look of disapproval that I give to my little pug dog when he’s been naughty.

As she exited the highway, I continued on and gathered my composure. This had made me angry and we all know getting angry while driving is dangerous. No need for road rage.  Still, wasn’t protecting our environment all of our jobs? What was going on with this woman that made her comfortable with throwing her trash out of her car window, on the highway and the top of my car? (By the way, throwing any object on a highway is punishable by law and usually involves a large fine and possible jail time.) 

In my office at the Jefferson County Public Health Department, we try very hard to get information and resources to the public that will help keep them safe and healthy.  However, keeping the public healthy is not something any agency or single organization can do on its own.   This collaborative effort involves every individual in our community.  The littering driver this morning wasn’t single handedly putting the health of the public at risk.  However, her single action when multiplied by potentially thousands of others who decided not to be conscious of the environment and their community are. 

Public health has its roots in sanitation and cleaner environments.  Hundreds of years ago, people recognized that polluted water and improper disposal of waste were causing disease and death and came together to do something about it. Obviously we still have lots of work to do, but let’s begin by going back to some basics. Trash belongs in trash cans and not on the highways, cigarette butts go in an ashtray and should be completely extinguished, and common courtesy, even on a Monday morning, goes a long way.

For more information on Public Health and how you can make a difference in creating a healthier Jefferson County visit www.jeffco.us/health.

by Tina Thorpe

Jefferson County Public Health

Smoke Free Environments Are Catching On

An interest in improving health, the environment and safety has communities and businesses across the State working to protect everyone from the dangers of tobacco smoke.  Recent local examples include the following:

In April, the City of Lakewood strengthened its smoke-free ordinance to include prohibiting smoking within 25 feet of all public entryways and around all playgrounds, swimming areas, skate parks, athletic fields, picnic shelters, tennis courts, and similar locations in outdoor areas.  Smoking is also prohibited on festival grounds or in places where people congregate to partake in city events or outdoor concerts. 

Denver International Airport (DIA) announced in May that it supports Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s plans for creating a better, healthier Denver by moving toward becoming a smoke-free facility.  Creating a healthier environment for travelers and employees, the airport has closed all but one of its four indoor smoking lounges with plans to close the final lounge in 2018.

In June, the pedestrian and bike path along Clear Creek in the City of Golden was declared as smoke-free through administrative order by City Manager, Mike Bestor.  This action was taken primarily to address environmental and over use concerns but has sparked conversations regarding the desire for expanded smoke-free restrictions in outdoor areas.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.*  Smoke-free environments protect everyone.

• For more information or to get involved in tobacco prevention efforts in supporting smoke free environments, visit www.smokefreejeffco.com or contact Donna Viverette at 303-275-7555 or dviveret@jeffco.us.

* U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006.

Tularemia

Tularemia is a bacterial disease associated with various animal species, especially rodents, rabbits, hares and beavers. People can get tularemia from many different sources: through the bite of an infected insect (usually a tick or deerfly), handling infected animal carcasses, consuming contaminated food or water, or by inhaling the bacteria. This disease can occur throughout the year; the peak times correspond with tick season (in spring and summer) and with the rabbit hunting season in early winter.

Tularemia is not spread from person to person.

Symptoms: Usually 3-5 days after exposure

• Sudden high fever


• Headaches


• Swollen lymph nodes


• Muscle and joint pain


• A sore or lesion at the site of infection.


• If the bacteria are ingested, a person may have a sore throat, abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea.

If any of these symptoms are noted after handling dead animals or swallowing untreated drinking water (as you find in a creek), contact your physician.

Tularemia is treatable with appropriate antibiotics.

Prevention:

• Do not handle sick or dead animals.


• Instruct children to leave wildlife alone.


• Wear rubber gloves when skinning or handling animals, especially rabbits.


• Thoroughly cook meat from wild game.


• Use protective clothing and insect repellents.


• Conduct frequent "tick checks".


• Avoid untreated drinking water.


• Use DEET or other tick repellant during the Colorado tick season. Ticks emerge in the mountains of Colorado in late March and are present throughout the summer with the peak season occurring in late May through early June.

For more information on preventing tularemia and other animal-borne diseases, visit our website at www.jeffco.us/health.

Summer is right around the corner, even though it doesn’t feel like it at the moment with the rainy weather in Colorado. With summer, come outdoor events and festivals in Jefferson County.

Environmental Health Specialists will be out most weekends inspecting food vendors at these fun activities. Food preparation during outdoor events are of particular concern due to fluctuation in temperatures both with the weather and food storage and also because of the conditions in which vendors work.

One of the most important tools used in any food inspection, indoors or out, is a food thermometer. Whether you are preparing food at home, in a restaurant or in a park under a tent, making sure food is stored and served at the proper temperature is important.

Not only do inspectors use a thermometer, but it’s a must have for anyone preparing food. A food thermometer is the only way to make sure cooked food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature, consequently preventing foodborne illness. They also can be used to make sure food is keep cold or hot enough after it has been cooked.

Thermometers take the guesswork out of cooking and grilling. No more dried up chicken, or burned hamburgers.

If you are thinking of purchasing a food thermometer remember to look for an instant read, stem type thermometer that reads from 0° to 220° F so you can use it for cold or hot food.

If you see us out at your neighborhood festival or event, say hello, we’ll be the ones with a thermometer and a clip board.

Getting to Know and Envionmental Specialist...

Last week I attended a regional food safety conference here in Colorado. Many speakers gave updates on the latest foodborne illness news. Since the main purpose of inspecting food service operations is to reduce and control foodborne illnesses, keeping up on this news keeps us sharp.

I often get the question: Why are we hearing so much about people getting sick from food these days? Isn’t food supposed to be good for us? Seems it wasn’t like this 20-30 years ago. Truth is things have been changing.

Back in the day, food was produced close to where people lived. Many people shopped daily, and prepared and ate their food at home. Eating in restaurants was saved for special occasions.

There have also been major changes in how food is processed, where it comes from, better methods of finding bacteria and viruses in food, and improved regulations of the food industry.The majority of our food supply in the United States comes from all over the world, not just the local farmer down the road. Next time you shop, look at a label on a package of ground beef. It may come from not one but 3 different countries.

Better tests have been developed and faster detection methods have been developed
that help public health organizations, find new food pathogens.

Restaurant and other food industry regulations have been improved over the years as science has been better able to prove what causes foodborne illness and how to control and prevent it.

Every year, there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness reported in the United States with 5,000 deaths. This costs our country $7-8 billion dollars a year due to ill people, losses to food producers, and affects on the national economy. Much of this could be prevented with proper food handling and preparation techniques.

Getting to Know an Environmental Health Specialist...

With all of the disease outbreaks from spinach to sprouts, how do we know if the food served in Jefferson County is safe? Seems like a big job, and, it is! Inspectors in Jefferson County conduct over 4,600 inspections of over 1800 food service establishments.

We inspect all kinds of food service establishments; from full service restaurants to school cafeterias, grocery stores, and even the hot dog cart at a neighborhood festival.

There is variety no doubt about that, no day is ever the same. As we walk into a restaurant unannounced, we become food detectives and our skills of observation and surveillance kick into gear. Each inspection is a “snap shot” in time. We have to learn a lot about a restaurant in just two or three visits a year.

So how you may ask do we know what goes on the other days of the year?

We look for clues about how food is handled when we’re not there. We ask how they prepare items on their menu, collect information like food temperatures and we ask a lot of questions. We watch how food handlers prepare and cook food, wash hands and dishes. And of course we document any areas that need correcting.

To do your own detective work, look up your favorite restaurant inspection by going to our web site at http://health.jeffco.us/.

Getting to Know a Public Health Nurse

I’ve enjoyed giving all of you a glimpse into what a Communicable Disease Control Nurse does on a daily basis. As you can probably tell, many people are involved in the day-to-day tasks that help keep our community safe and healthy. Some of the most important people with whom we collaborate include our department’s Environmental Health Specialists. Not only do they participate in certain types of disease investigations, but they have expertise in a wide range of environmental issues. It is now my pleasure to introduce to you to Carla Opp, Environmental Health Specialist.

Getting to Know a Public Health Nurse

Recently, the health department’s International Travel Clinic received a card from a couple who spends most of their time traveling… something I wish I could do. They spent most of 2008 going from country to country, covering much of the world. The experiences and places they described were unbelievable, and included everything from exploring some of America’s typical tourist destinations, to visiting remote parts of India and Africa. Of course, they realize that seeing the world is not without risk, and talked about a particularly scary experience after getting a nasty infection while traveling through Asia.

Time and time again, the travel clinic nurses hear stories of dangerous situations, bizarre illnesses, and instances when our clients were less than careful. But without fail, these people want to see more of the world, and continue to do so. Part of what I love about the International Travel Clinic is giving our clients the opportunity to see how the rest of the world lives while giving them the tools to maintain their own health. Diseases such as yellow fever and malaria are not concerns for residents of the United States, but are a part of life for many people in other countries. Something as simple as drinking tap water may be dangerous to your health in some parts of the world. I admit that I often take for granted the fact that I have clean water to drink, fruits and veggies to eat, and adequate medical care should I need it. But I’m happy to say that the travel clinic nurses can help keep people healthy while they explore the world!