Smoke-Free AZ Phone Application

The ADHS Smoke-Free Arizona Program is excited to announce that it has launched a phone application that will allow Arizonans to quickly and easily submit complaints when they observe violations of the Smoke-Free Arizona Act.  This free phone App will allow Arizonans to take a picture of the violation and send it, along with GPS coordinates and other descriptive information about the business in violation, to the ADHS Smoke-Free Arizona Program who will file the complaint.  The App can be downloaded on both Androids and iPhones by searching for the keyword “mysmokefreeaz.” Once installed, users can open the App and follow the prompts under the “Report” tab to submit their complaints.  Additional information about the “mysmokefreeaz” App will be posted on the Smoke-Free Arizona website (www.smokefreearizona.org).

Invitation to Arizona Health Services Through the Century

Click Here to View the Invitation

NEWS: Smokefree homes, healthier food through local licensing, and more

WINTER 2012 
How One City Tackled “Teen-Friendly” Cigars

Just south of Los Angeles in the city of Huntington Park, community leaders were growing concerned about a candy-flavored tobacco product that had become popular among young smokers.

Little cigars, sold individually in flavors like grape, cherry, and vanilla for less than $1 apiece, had become the new tobacco product of choice. Selling flavored or individually packaged cigarettes is illegal, but little cigars – which often look like cigarettes and can contain up to four times as much nicotine – aren’t subject to the same federal regulations.

A city planner in Huntington Park contacted us for help. As part of an ad hoc committee of different city agencies working to develop a law regulating local tobacco sellers, she wanted to be sure to include restrictions on these candy-flavored cigars.

We drafted strong model policy language establishing a minimum pack size for the products to make them less accessible to young people. Communities can adopt the policy on its own or as part of a larger tobacco retailer licensing program, as Huntington Park did. See our website for more on limiting “teen-friendly” cigars, including our model policy language.

Want Healthier Restaurants in Town? Here’s a New Approach

Families are eating out more than ever: Americans today spend half – yes, half! – their food budgets on restaurant food. That can translate into a lot of calories from restaurant kitchens.

What can local governments do to motivate these eateries to shape up their menus? Check out our new toolkit, “Putting Health on the Menu,” to find out how to create a program that gives restaurant owners plenty of incentives to upgrade the nutritional quality of their offerings. Then contact us for help adapting our model program to your community’s needs.

Healthy Transportation Planning: Get on Board!  

You already know why public health advocates should get involved in transportation planning: the way our roads and public transit systems are designed has a lot to do with how much exercise we get, our exposure to noise and air pollution, our risk of getting into traffic accidents, and more.

But it’s not always easy to figure out how to get into the game. Download “Getting Involved in Transportation Planning” for a practical how-to guide to navigating the maze of agencies that oversee the process. This guide was produced in partnership with TransForm, a nonprofit working to create walkable communities and world-class public transportation.

 

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Institute of Medicine (IOM) Releases New Report – Living Well with Chronic Illness: A Call for Public Health Action

Living Well with Chronic Illness: A Call for Public Health Action

The epidemic of chronic illness is steadily moving towards crisis proportions, yet maintaining or enhancing quality of life for individuals living with these illnesses has not been given the attention it deserves. In this report, the IOM makes recommendations to the CDC as well as HHS on the development and support of programs to meet the health and social needs of people living with chronic illnesses.

Read the Report >>

Asthma Conference brochure 2012

The AZ Asthma Coalition is pleased to invite you to the 2012 Arizona Asthma Conference on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  The brochure and registration materials are attached.

The theme of the conference is “Health Care Reform and its Impact on Asthma Care.”  There will be an update on the current status of reform, with discussions of its implications for health care delivery, specifically asthma care for children and adults.  An update on asthma case management, a forum for school nurses, case studies, and the latest research on asthma will also be included.  Learn about innovations among medical practices, health plans and hospitals that will improve quality management of asthma.  CME credits will be provided. 

Register by April 1, 2012, for an Early Bird discount.

The conference is sponsored by Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the University of Arizona Pediatric Pulmonary Center.

 Won’t you join us for this important learning opportunity?

Asthma Conference brochure 2012