Wednesday, March 20, youth across the country – including those in our community – will stand out, speak up and seize control against tobacco.

If you don’t smoke – don’t start.

Click here for information on Tobacco 101 from the Kick Butts community.

If you do smoke – there’s help to quit.

Georgia Tobacco Quit Line:

English: 1.877.270.STOP (7867)
Spanish: 1.877-2NO.FUME (266.3863)
Hearing Impaired: TTY 1.877-6534

Learn from a former smoker, Ms. Tina Long. Ms. Long stopped by the Health Department to talk with Ed Jones, Health Department Health Promotion Coordinator. Read Tina’s interview and story here.

It may be difficult to talk with your children about the possibility of something “bad” happening.   As adults, we know that when we feel prepared, we may be better able to cope with a disaster.  Children are no different.  Working together as a family, you can identify and collect the resources you need to meet basic needs both during and after a disaster.

Here are three easy steps you can do to prepare for an emergency:

1)       Be prepared:  Make your own Ready kit.  Good information can be found on the Ready Georgia website:  http://www.ready.ga.gov/Prepare

2)      Have a Communications Plan:  Your family may not be together when disaster strikes. Make a plan today. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.  http://www.ready.ga.gov/Plan/

3)      Stay informed: Learn about your risk for specific hazards in your community.  Listen to weather updates.  And download the Ready Georgia app:  www.ready.ga.gov/mobileapp

Sesame Workshop, along with its project partners, created Let’s Get Ready! Planning Together for Emergencies.  Featuring beloved characters from Sesame Street, this website helps children learn how to be prepared in an emergency situation.

Flood Awareness

More people drown in their cars than anywhere else during a flood.  People believe the weight of their car will keep them on the road.  Think about it for a moment.  An aircraft carrier weighs 97,000 tons and it floats.  A foot of water will float many vehicles and two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles – including SUV’s.

Flood and flash flood WATCHES meanflooding is possible, be prepared to move to higher ground and tune in for weather information.

Flood and flash flood WARNINGS mean flooding is occurring and if advised to evacuate, do so immediately, even if on foot.

All floods are not alike.  Some floods develop slowly, sometimes over a period of days.  But flash floods can develop quickly, even in just a few minutes and without any visible signs of rain.  Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water that carries rocks, mud, and other debris and can sweep away most things in its path.  Overland flooding occurs outside a defined river or stream, such as when a levee is breached, but still can be very destructive.

The Danger is Real

• The first step is to protect you home and family by purchasing flood insurance (www.floodsmart.gov). Standard homeowner’s insurance does not cover flooding.
• Copy important documents and take pictures of possessions.
• Monitor NOAA Weather Radio or other media.
• Don’t walk through a flooded area because 6 inches of moving water can knock you down.
• Don’t drive through flooded areas and stay away from downed power lines.
• Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw sewage.
• Watch out for animals that have lost their homes during a flood.  Animals may seek shelter in your home and aggressively defend themselves (especially poisonous snakes).

February is a month for hearts. Arguably the most important organ in our bodies, the heart deserves all the attention it gets. Let every heart you see this month remind you to take care of your own!

Heart disease is often associated with men. But women are also at risk.

Did you know…

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 4 deaths each year?

Did you know…

Heart disease claimed the lives of more than 300,000 American women in 2008? (last year numbers are available)

Did you know…

We can make a difference?

February is American Heart Month. Friday, February 1st kicked off the month with National Wear Red Day, our chance to raise awareness about heart disease in women. The picture below is our Newton County Health Center Staff showing their support for National Wear Red Day.

Take the remainder of the month to learn about how proper diet and exercise build a strong heart.

For more information on heart disease in women, click on a link below:

The Heart Truth

The American Heart Association

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

^®National Wear Red Day is a registered trademark of HHS and AHA.

Norovirus is a gastrointestinal illness that generally causes vomiting and diarrhea.  You may hear people refer to it as the “stomach flu,” but norovirus is not related to the influenza virus, which is primarily a respiratory illness.

Every year – especially from November to March – we will see an increase in reports of norovirus, and many reports are in reference to outbreaks of illness.  So what are the symptoms? And what can you do to stay healthy?  The Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Department has information to help protect your family from norovirus.

Great American SmokeOut 2012

If you or someone you know is a smoker, the idea of quitting (or helping someone else to quit) has probably crossed your mind. Almost 70% of smokers want to stop smoking, and about 52% of them try to stop each year. The Great American Smokeout (GASO), sponsored by the American Cancer Society, takes place every year on the third Thursday of November. It was established to encourage smokers to not smoke on that day and to make plans to quit smoking for good.

Why Is It Hard to Quit Smoking?

That’s an easy answer. It’s nicotine, a chemical that is in all tobacco products. Research suggests that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. More people in the United States are addicted to nicotine than to any other chemical.

Because nicotine is so addictive, people can find it hard to quit smoking. They may feel more irritable or anxious; have trouble concentrating; and have an increased appetite when they try to stop. These are some of the symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine. Because these symptoms are uncomfortable, many people begin smoking again. The 2008 Clinical Practice Guideline Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence concluded that “Tobacco dependence is a chronic disease that often requires repeated interventions and multiple attempts to quit.”

Most smokers try to quit several times before succeeding. But many, many people succeed. In fact, the number of former U.S. smokers has exceeded the number of current smokers since 2002. Smokers can learn from previous quit attempts and be better prepared to overcome the specific challenges (sometimes called triggers) that cause them to start smoking again. With continued encouragement and support, many people keep trying until they succeed in stopping smoking for good.

What Is the Best Way to Stop Smoking?

There are many ways to quit smoking, but no single way works for everyone. You need to keep trying until you find a specific treatment or combination of treatments that best suits your individual needs and gives you the best chance of quitting permanently. Most importantly, don’t give up trying to quit. Seek out people who will offer you support and encouragement.

Learn from a Former Smoker

Ms. Tina Long, a former smoker, stopped by the Health Department to talk with Ed Jones, Health Department Health Promotion Coordinator.

Learn more about Tina.

Resources to Help You Quit

There are many proven services and treatments can ease withdrawal symptoms and help you quit. Although many people quit without medication, FDA-approved medications, combined with counseling, can greatly increase the likelihood of quitting successfully. Combining medication and counseling is more effective than either medication or counseling alone.

For support to help you quit, call 1-877-270-STOP (7867). You can get free support and advice from experienced counselors, a personalized quit plan, self-help materials, the latest information about cessation medications, and more.

Online services and resources are also available through the following Web sites:

• www.smokefree.gov provides free, accurate, evidence-based information and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of people trying to quit smoking.
• women.smokefree.gov provides free, accurate, evidence-based information and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of women trying to quit smoking.
• Quit Tobacco: Make Everyone Proud is a U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored Web site for military personnel and their families.
• American Cancer Society—The Great American Smokeout is the American Cancer Society’s Web site that provides many resources to help you stop smoking.
• For assistance in Español: http://espanol.smokefree.gov/

The recent “superstorm” that affected nearly 20 states in the eastern United States has been all over the news lately.  Here in Georgia, we escaped with barely a scratch.  But what if we had been impacted similarly to what happened in the Northeast?  Would you and your family have been ready?  Some say “That’s not possible, especially here in metro Atlanta because we live so far from the sea.”

While it is true we would not feel the impact of storm surge, there are plenty of other things that could make life very uncomfortable for an extended period of time.  We have had hurricanes move inland fast enough to bring hurricane force winds here.  We have had major floods, tornadoes, and ice storms here; we also must be mindful of the possibility of man-caused disasters.

Any of these has the potential to knock out power, transportation resources, supply lines, and more for an extended period of time.  I read that three days after the storm passed residents in New York were already complaining that it was taking “so long” to repair the infrastructure there.  Utility workers, first responders, health officials, and other government employees are not miracle workers.  I’m sure they are all doing the best they can.  But the fact is it takes time to recover from an event of this magnitude.

The bottom line is that each person and family should take actions to ensure that they are prepared to take care of themselves with no outside assistance for at least 72 hours, and with very limited assistance (and possibly no power!) for several more days.  If you know a major storm is coming – and the weather forecasts for this and most recent major storms have been right on target – you can plan ahead by filling your car up with gas, charging up your mobile devices, filling up the tub with fresh water, restocking food, batteries, water, medicine, blankets, etc.

An even better strategy is to have a family emergency plan written up and an emergency kit ready at all times, so even if an unexpected event occurs you are ready.  It won’t cost a lot, and you can even stock it a little at a time to alleviate any financial burdens.  Below are some excellent websites that can help you get ready for any disaster, including some fun activities for your kids to get prepared.  Stay safe, and stay ready.

Mark Reiswig

Director of Emergency Preparedness

https://www.gnrhealth.com/hurricane-preparedness-week

http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit

http://www.ready.gov/kids

http://ready.ga.gov/

http://www.redcross.org/flash/brr/English-html/kit-contents.asp