Every year the March of Dimes releases grades based on the final National Center for Health Statistics data. Arizona received a “B” grade for the 2017 Premature Birth Report Card. While the preterm birth rate worsened in 43 states in 2016, the rate remained the same in Arizona. A premature birth is defined as the [...]
Note: This week is National Public Health Week. This week I have a five-part public health series that explores the vast network of programs and services that help improve the health and wellness of all Arizonans. The Public Health Prevention Team is dedicated to improving the quality of life for an individual, which improves the [...]
Most people associate lung cancer with tobacco use, but using tobacco can cause several other types of cancers. Using tobacco increases the risk for cancers of the mouth, lips, nose and sinuses, larynx (voice box) pharynx (throat), esophagus (swallowing tube), stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, uterus, cervix, colon/rectum, and ovary (mucinous), as well as acute myeloid [...]
The American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative recently released the findings from its from its third annual Women’s Lung Health Barometer. The Lung Association estimates that almost 4,000 women in Arizona and more than 106,000 in the United States will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016. Our Chronic Disease Office in the Bureau of [...]
Last week we released our new public awareness campaign, Vape is a Lie, that teaches kids in Arizona about the potential dangers of using e-cigarettes. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical that can have several negative effects on your health. There is no safe level of nicotine for children. After the release of the campaign, [...]
Last week we announced that the adult smoking rate in Arizona is at an all-time low. New data from the CDC shows the 2015 adult smoking rate in Arizona dropped to a historic low of 14 percent, down from 19.3 percent in 2011. This decrease translates to more than 200,000 Arizonans who quit smoking over [...]
We’re seeing a downward trend in Arizona with youth tobacco prevalence that is similar to the national trend , according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey. The percentage of Arizona’s high school youth who have ever tried smoking has decreased from 46.5 percent in 2011 to 37 percent in 2015, a decrease of almost 20 [...]
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 [...]
One of Governor Doug Ducey’s priorities is to modernize and streamline state government so the services we provide are more effective for the people we serve. One of the ways state government will transform is by deploying an intentional statewide management system . Over the last few weeks we have been working on a department-wide [...]
Several of our public education and outreach campaigns received awards earlier this month from the American Advertising Federation. Our tobacco prevention program earned several awards for public service announcements promoting the Arizona Smoker’s Helpline, commonly referred to as the ASHLine, which provides coaching and nicotine replacement therapy to anyone who wants to quit using tobacco. [...]
