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From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: Project Filter helps Idahoans quit tobacco to live healthier lives
Project Filter offers free resources and support in Idaho to help people quit smoking, vaping, and chewing, as staffers work toward an Idaho that is free from tobacco-related deaths and disease.
The program promotes healthy behaviors and offers free Nicotine Replacement Therapy in the form of nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges, to help people on their journey to quit commercial tobacco. Staff works closely with Idaho’s seven local public health districts and two tribes to make sure free
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Project Filter offers free resources and support in Idaho to help people quit smoking, vaping, and chewing, as staffers work toward an Idaho that is free from tobacco-related deaths and disease.
The program promotes healthy behaviors and offers free Nicotine Replacement
Death by suicide is listed as the cause of death for far too many Idahoans. In 2020, Idaho had the fifth highest suicide rate in the United States. That is very concerning, but it’s also important to know that suicide is preventable and most people who make a suicide attempt don
Helping Idaho’s children and their families by making sure they are safe and supported is a very important goal for us.
We have many services and programs to help support Idaho’s children and families, but today I’d like to encourage those who work with young children and
The first updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters have now been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These updated boosters are aimed more directly at the Omicron variants that continue to
The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), first declared in January 2020, was most recently renewed on July 15. The next decision about the PHE is not due until Oct. 15, but the federal government has agreed to notify states 60 days before it ends. Since that has not happened
The department’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan is now in full motion as we head into the fall. I would like to provide a brief overview of each of the objectives in the plan, which you can find on the DHW website.
Strategic Goal 1: Ensure affordable, available
Several lakes and reservoirs have health advisories because of cyanobacterial blooms so far this summer. Most of the year, Idaho’s lakes and reservoirs are safe to enjoy. But when water temperatures increase and the right type of nutrients are available, some bodies of water can
In 2021, 353 Idaho residents died from a drug overdose.
From 2010 to 2022, more than 2,900 Idahoans have died from an overdose.
Those numbers are distressing to me because they mean so many Idaho families are missing a loved one today, because of an overdose
Idaho is publishing COVID-19 data from samples collected at participating wastewater treatment facilities around the state. The Wastewater testing tab on the state’s COVID-19 case, laboratory, and hospital data dashboard. Click “Wastewater Testing” at the dashboard to see a
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new, streamlined guidance last week to help people better understand their risk for getting COVID-19, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19, and what actions to take if they
West Nile virus (WNV) positive mosquitoes were detected in Ada, Payette, and Elmore counties this month, and public health officials are urging Idahoans to protect themselves from biting mosquitoes when they’re outdoors.
Every year the risk for acquiring WNV goes