New Report Spotlights College Smoking Trends

College students may be smoking less than in the past on college and university campuses, but they continue to face aggressive tobacco industry marketing tactics, according to a new report released by the American Lung Association (ALA).

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of tobacco use and policies on college and university campuses. The ALA analyzed published research, surveys and tobacco industry documents to provide a wide-ranging look at the impact tobacco has in today’s college life.

In 2005, the tobacco industry spent more than $1 million a day sponsoring events and giveaways targeting college students.

Click here to read more about the report.

CDC Launches Campaign to Fight Drug-Resistant Germ

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a national campaign to teach parents how to keep their children safe from skin infections caused by the potentially dangerous bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

MRSA is a type of staph bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics. It has been in the news because it can cause severe infections in health care settings, such as hospitals. But parents may not be aware that it can also cause skin infections in otherwise healthy people who haven’t recently been hospitalized.

Click here to read more about the campaign.

Researchers Look for New Asthma Links

Researchers investigating the reasons for children’s asthma epidemic have identified child abuse as one more potential cause.

The researchers, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who studied children in Puerto Rico because of the high incidence of asthma, found those who had gone through physical or sexual abuse were much more likely to suffer from asthma than those who had not been mistreated.

But the abused children represented only a small fraction of the total number with asthma.

Click here to read the complete New York Times story.

U.S. Chickenpox Prevention Program Working

The chickenpox vaccination program launched in 1995 has had a dramatic impact on the number of children infected, hospitalized and killed by the virus in the United States.

According to a review of a recent article, “Varicella Prevention in the United States: A Review of Successes and Challenges,” found in the August issue of “Pediatrics” magazine, cases of chickenpox (varicella) had dropped 90 percent by 2005.

The number of varicella-related hospitalizations declined 75 to 88 percent and deaths declined by more than 74 percent in people under age 50, with the greatest declines among children ages one to four (92 percent) and five to nine (89 percent).

Click here to read more on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

Cleaning Up After Tropical Storm Fay

Tropical Storm Fay is leaving behind lots of water and the possibility of a flood of disease-carrying mosquitoes making it important for resident to clear standing water where the insects thrive, according to the Orange County Health Department (OCHD).

OCHD officials recommend that after the rain clears, residents clean out eaves, troughs and gutters, remove old tires or drill holes to drain those used in playgrounds, turn over or remove empty plastic pots and pump out bilges on boats.

Click here to read more tips on cleaning up after Tropical Storm Fay.

Measles Cases On the Rise

More measles cases have been reported in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 2008 than during the same period in any year since 1996, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Between January 1 and July 31, 2008, 131 cases were reported to CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At least 15 patients, including four children younger than 15 months of age, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

“Measles can be a severe, life-threatening illness,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of NCIRD. “These cases and outbreaks serve as a reminder that measles can and still does occur in the United States.” Of the 131 patients, 112 were not vaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.

Click here to read more on the CDC website.

Text Message Safety Warnings

Emergency room doctors, who have seen a rise in injuries related to text-messaging, warn that students need to be more cautious about the places and times they send them.

When young people are busy thinking about what to say in a text message and using their thumbs to type a message–at the same time they are moving around by foot, bicycle or car–they can get hurt. And so can others.

It is important for parents to provide guidelines and serve as good role models.

Click here to read the complete KidsHealth story.

Teen Smoking Linked to Access and Peer Pressure

Kids who can easily get hold of cigarettes and who have friends who smoke are more likely to start smoking than children who don’t, according to a study reported in the July/August issue of the “Annals of Family Medicine.”

The four-year study, funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) grant, focused on 1,195 students ages 11 to 14 in Massachusetts.

As a result of the study, one author noted the factors should “raise a red flag and prompt (physicians) to talk with parents and kids about how to avoid smoking.”

Click here to read the study summary on the RWJF website.

Free Shots and Physicals at Back-to-School Event

The Orange Blossom Family Health Center has teamed up with the Christian Service Center, WellCare, the Orlando Magic, the Orange County Public School System, Orange County Library System and the City of Orlando to host a Back-to-School event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. August 2, 2008 at the Amway Arena, 600 W. Amelia St., Orlando.

In addition to physicals and immunizations, the event will feature information on community resources, health information, free school supplies, free haircuts, free backpacks and entertainment. Parents must bring their child’s shot record form to receive the immunizations.

Immunizations–Not Just For Kids

Although most parents are good about getting their children immunized, government officials say many adults aren’t up-to-date on their vaccines.

For example, according to federal data, only 2.1 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 are immunized against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. As a result, up to 70,000 Americans die each year from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. Congress is considering a plan to create a national vaccine program.

For more information, click here  to go to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.