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Quitting smoking, vaping, or chewing is one of the best things a person can do for their health
Last month the Great American Smokeout served as a reminder for people who smoke to make a plan to quit for a healthier future. But quitting smoking is possible any time, and it’s one of the best choices a person can make to improve their health and protect their loved ones from cancer-causing chemicals.
Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the US, accounting for about one in five deaths each year. While cigarette smoking rates have continued to decline in recent years
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This Thursday, Oct. 19, marks the Great Idaho ShakeOut. As part of the worldwide Great Shakeout, it’s a day dedicated to reflecting on and preparing for the possibility of a significant earthquake. At 10:19 a.m. local time, people throughout Idaho will participate in the
Oversized scissors cut through a big blue ribbon and a giant door opened for the youth of Idaho. Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at Pathways Youth Community Support Center on Emerald Street celebrated the launch of Boise’s first Youth Behavioral Health Community Crisis Center
Ageism is a subtle yet pervasive bias that infiltrates our lives, often without us even realizing it. It’s a prejudice based on age that can affect people of all generations, from the young to the elderly. While this past Saturday, Oct. 7, is known as as Ageism Awareness Day,
Southwest Idaho is experiencing an outbreak of measles (“rubeola” or “red measles”), with 10 cases reported to date. Measles stopped being continuously spread in the United States in 2000. Only two cases of measles were reported in Idaho during the last 20 years, both in 2019.
Respiratory disease season has arrived, and public health officials are urging Idahoans to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Seasonal influenza (flu) virus, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are all expected to be part
One of my favorite parts of working at the Department of Health and Welfare is meeting the amazing and talented people who work here. This week I joined staff from the Division of Public Health to learn more about the newborn screening program.
Each year between
This September, for the second year in a row, the Division of Behavioral Health’s Substance Use Disorder Services Program has published a booklet titled “Who’s Who, Idaho Recovery Month 2023.”
The booklet features stories about some of the incredible Idahoans who
The Division of Public Health embarked on a journey starting in 2019 to improve the likelihood that all Idahoans have the same opportunity to live and thrive in safe, healthy, and resilient communities. To do this, the division led a statewide assessment to identify Idaho’s top
I was honored last Saturday, Sept. 9, to join some of Idaho’s kinship families and DHW staff in Boise to celebrate Idaho Kinship Day, which recognizes families in which relatives or adults with significant relationships with a child takes on the responsibility of parenting when
Navigating the complexities of the health care system can be a challenge, but organizations throughout Idaho are turning to staff called Community Health Workers to add value to their organizations and the communities they serve.
Community Health Workers are
Late last week the Department of Health and Welfare completed its reevaluation of Idaho Medicaid participants whose benefits were protected under federal law during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In all, DHW staff processed 153,196 renewals, and 31,900 were determined