Year: 2018

Landlords and Tenants: Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning is a serious health issue for many young children and their families. Lead has been shown to be particularly harmful to children between the ages of nine months and six years.  The only way to know for sure if a child has been poisoned is to get the child tested for lead.

Philadelphia’s Lead and Healthy Homes Program works to ensure that Philadelphians have safe and healthy homes, free from lead and other hazards. Landlords and tenants also play an important role in ensuring that rental homes are healthy and safe.

https://www.phila.gov/2018-11-16-landlords-and-tenants-preventing-childhood-lead-poisoning/

Pharmacies Not Stocking Naloxone


“We’re trying to make carrying Narcan, unfortunately, just a normal part of what people do,” city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley told me. He said the department still fields complaints from customers who can’t find it on the shelves of pharmacies.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/columnists/mike_newall/philadelphia-city-council-narcan-standing-order-pharmacists-20181115.html

By Mike Newall

FDA Announcement on Banning Menthol


“For too long, flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes have been the on-ramp to smoking for teenagers in Philadelphia.  Prohibiting these flavored products would be a major advance in the battle against the nation’s biggest killer – tobacco,” said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. “We also support FDA’s proposed actions to protect teens from the marketing of flavored e-cigarettes.”

http://www2.philly.com/philly/health/fda-restrictions-ecigarette-sales-ban-menthol-cigarettes-flavored-cigars-20181115.html

By Aneri Pattani

Council Bill to Stock Naloxone

Recognizing ongoing access issues, a Philadelphia City Council committee on Tuesday recommended a bill that would require pharmacies to have at least one naloxone pack (with two doses) in stock. Council is expected to vote on the measure next week.

“We did a survey and found 25 percent of pharmacies don’t have it,” city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said. “We want 100 percent to have it on hand.”

http://www2.philly.com/philly/health/some-pharmacies-thwart-efforts-to-improve-access-to-the-opioid-overdose-reversal-drug-20181114.html

By Marie McCullough

To make the drug even more easily available, a City Council committee approved a bill mandating that all pharmacies in Philadelphia stock it. Recent studies show that fewer than half of city pharmacies do carry it.

The legislation is part of the city’s promotion and distribution of naloxone. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said that, since June of 2017, his department has given out more than 57,000 doses of Narcan to people in a position to administer it.

https://whyy.org/articles/philly-may-require-all-pharmacies-to-stock-overdose-reversal-drug-naloxone/

By Nina Feldman

Juul Stopping Selling Some Flavors

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Tom Farley said the company’s actions don’t go far enough. “Juul is making these changes because it is under pressure from the FDA.  But if they were serious about protecting kids, they would discontinue all of their flavorings and target their marketing specifically to adult smokers who want to quit,” Farley said in a statement.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/health/juul-stop-selling-flavored-ecigarette-vaping-20181113.html

By Aneri Pattani

Undetermined Death Settlement


The official cause and manner of Malik’s death is listed as “undetermined,” according to Jim Garrow, a spokesman for the city Medical Examiner’s Office.  It’s a rare, but not unheard of, determination, and law enforcement sources familiar with the case say the ruling can be changed if new evidence emerges.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/nadia-malik-death-lawsuit-decision-family-boyfriend-20181114.html

By Vinny Vella

3ForMe Social Media Campaign

Over the course of one year, six Facebook advertising campaigns were developed to direct adolescents to the 3forME Facebookpage and website.  Adolescents with a Facebook account who self-identified as 13-18 years of age and living in Philadelphia were prioritized to receive advertisements.  Advertisements, which ran for two-week periods, were displayed on the right side of the Facebook login page and varied by themes, images, and text, each linking to HPV immunization. Additionally, we sent reminder-recall letters to adolescents who were due for HPV vaccine at two city health centers where we held weekly vaccine clinics.

https://sciencetrends.com/do-social-media-clicks-translate-to-health-behavior-change-among-adolescents/

By Salini Mohanty

Take Control Philly Highlight

You might not know this, but a branch of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health launched an effort dubbed Take Control Philly that’s all about providing the tools and knowledge to promote safe sex in the city.

Its website is a solid resource, covering many sex-focused frequently asked questions like: How can I get tested for STDs? And how do I ask my partner to use a condom? And there is a contact form you can fill out with specific questions.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/free-condoms-delivery-philadelphia-teens-take-charge-philly-safe-sex/

By Bailey King

Philadelphia Getting Health Care Right

“In 1751, Benjamin Franklin co-founded America’s first public hospital in Philadelphia. Today, the City of Brotherly Love stays true to that history, scoring high for hospital quality and availability of highly rated specialists. Meanwhile, residents can take independent steps toward better population health by improving lifestyle habits like regular exercise and maintaining a normal weight.”

The Healthgrades rankings came out about the same time the Philadelphia Department of Public Health issued its own report that found in some city neighborhoods residents have limited access to basic primary care. The health department study found the shortage was most severe in the Far Northeast and southwest sections of the city, with one primary-care provider for every 3,500 residents.

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2018/11/01/philadelphia-rankedamong-top-cities-getting-health.html

By John George

Public Health Accreditation

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) was among the first big city public health departments in the U.S. to receive national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).  PDPH achieved accreditation in November 2015 after undergoing a rigorous, peer review assessment process to ensure we met or exceeded a set of quality standards and measures for public health. The five-year designation recognizes the PDPH’s capacity and commitment to protect and promote the health of all Philadelphians.

https://admin.phila.gov/2018-10-31-public-health-accreditation/