Category: Press releases

2019 Health of the City report

Release

PHILADELPHIA–The Health Department’s latest Health of the City report shows declines in smoking and sweetened beverage consumption, both of which are behaviors that can lead to heart disease, Philadelphia’s leading cause of death. However, chronic diseases, the opioid epidemic, and a rising rate of gun violence continue to negatively impact the overall health of the city.

https://www.phila.gov/2019-12-19-city-report-shows-mixed-bag-in-philadelphia-health-indicators/

Inquirer

The city’s Department of Public Health produces the annual report to help officials, health-care providers, and residents better understand factors influencing health. Data come from a variety of sources, including Pennsylvania’s telephone-based population survey of behavioral risk factors.

https://www.inquirer.com/health/philadelphia-health-report-opioids-guns-cancer-smoking-vaping-20200112.html

By Marie McCullough

Philly Tribune

The difference in health between African Americans and other races is “because of poverty, lower levels of employment, and historical discrimination and lack of opportunity,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, commissioner of the city’s Department of Public Health.

“Closing the racial gap in health will require improving African-Americans’ educations, employment, and income opportunities as well as creating environments that promote healthy behaviors — such as healthy diet, physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and drugs.”

https://www.phillytrib.com/news/health/black-male-female-life-expectancy-lowest-across-the-city/article_9cbc5e9e-b55c-59b4-a1fe-49aefe97a6ec.html

By John Mitchell

Mayor Signs Tobacco Restrictions Bills

Release

PHILADELPHIA–Mayor Kenney, flanked by teenaged activists and members of City Council, signed two new laws and an Executive Order yesterday intended to help protect Philadelphia children from the dangers of addictive cigarillos and e-cigarettes. Following a three-month education period and a three-month warning period, flavored and high-nicotine e-cigarettes will only be allowed to be sold in adults-only stores. After a sixty-day education period, no candy or fruit flavored cigarillos will be allowed to be sold in Philadelphia. And beginning today, all City properties, including parks and recreation centers, are smoke- and vape-free.

https://www.phila.gov/2019-12-19-mayor-signs-laws-restricting-e-cigs-and-banning-flavored-cigarillos/

Patch

“I have been deeply troubled by the unfolding of the youth vaping epidemic and the widespread sale of fruit and candy flavored cigarillos,” Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said. “These products threaten to undermine years of hard-fought progress to reduce adult and youth smoking. These laws are a necessary step in protecting our children.”

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/philly-restricts-e-cigarette-sales-bans-flavored-cigarillos

By Max Bennett

CBS3

Mayor Jim Kenney and other Philadelphia officials gathered at City Hall on Wednesday to sign a bill that will crack down on vaping. The new bill will restrict the sale of e-cigarettes in stores where children shop.

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/12/18/mayor-jim-kenney-signs-two-bills-that-put-stricter-rules-on-vaping-products-in-philadelphia/

By Staff

Inquirer

The illnesses have primarily been among young adults who are otherwise healthy, drawing attention to the sharp rise in youth e-cigarette use.

“We are seeing an epidemic of youth vaping in the United States,” said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley.

https://www.inquirer.com/health/philadelphia-flavored-vape-ban-20191218.html

By Sarah Gantz

KYW 1060

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney Wednesday signed two bills designed to protect teenagers from the lure of nicotine, and a group of young people who lobbied for the measures was there to watch.

Health Commissioner Tom Farley invited students from the Advocacy Institute to get a ringside seat for the bill signing. After all, they’d worked on getting the measures passed in City Council.

https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/new-bills-limit-flavored-cigarillos-e-cigarettes-sales

By Pat Loeb

Homeless Death Statistics

Release

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, “The opioid crisis is both exacerbating the homelessness problem in Philadelphia and increasing the number of homeless people who die of drug overdoses. The health department is working with many other City agencies to reduce the number of people who become addicted and help those who are addicted – homeless or not – begin drug treatment.”

https://www.phila.gov/2019-12-19-opioid-crisis-fueling-increase-in-philadelphia-homeless-deaths/

Inquirer

And most deaths in the city’s homeless population were due to overdoses, Hersh said. That’s a sea change from just a few years ago. Between 2009 and 2015, about 37% of deaths among the homeless population were from overdoses. Between 2016 and 2018, overdoses accounted for 59% of such deaths.

By Aubrey Whelan
KYW1060

The Philadelphia Health Department has compiled some grim statistics about homeless deaths in the city over the last decade.

From 2009 though 2018, the number of deaths among Philadelphia’s homeless population has tripled, largely because of an increase in the number of overdose deaths.

https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/deaths-among-homeless-philadelphians-tripled-in-last-decade

By Pat Loeb

Drop in Life Expectancy

“Every day, too many young people in Philadelphia and across the nation are dying early from preventable causes,” said Raynard Washington, chief epidemiologist for the city Department of Public Health. “Substance use, gun violence, and smoking- and obesity-related chronic illnesses are the primary causes of premature death among Philadelphians.”

https://www.inquirer.com/health/dying-young-overdoses-alcoholism-suicide-liver-death-pennsylvania-philadelphia-study-20191126.html

By Rita Giordano

 

Food Economy Report

Release

PHILADELPHIA–Mayor Jim Kenney, with representatives from the Economy League and Health Department, announced the release of a report detailing opportunities to grow the “good food” economy. The report assessed the size and scope of the Philadelphia food economy to discover opportunities to reap the benefits of “good food” businesses and policies. The report showed that Philadelphia is home to 6,500 businesses that grow, manufacture, distribute, sell, or serve food, or eliminate food waste. The food economy employs 79,000 people, comprising 12% of all jobs in the City.

https://www.phila.gov/2019-11-21-city-issues-first-ever-report-on-philadelphias-food-economy/

Billy Penn

The info comes from a year-long project by the Health Department and the Economy League to quantify the restaurant industry’s growing contribution to the Philly landscape.

https://billypenn.com/2019/11/20/more-than-1-in-10-jobs-in-philly-are-related-to-food-and-the-industry-is-growing-fast/

By Michaela Winberg

KYW1060

Meanwhile, Cheryl Bettigole with the Philadelphia Health Department says the bright spots here are that there are lots of small businesses focusing on healthy and quality food.

“We are starting to see reports come out about the burgeoning vegan food movement, healthy food movement in Philadelphia,” she said.

https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/some-key-findings-in-report-of-phillys-food-economy

By Hadas Kuznits

 

Ristorante La Buca Hepatitis A Warning

Release

 

Fox29

Health officials are warning of possible Hepatitis A exposure at a Center City restaurant.

According to officials, they recently confirmed that a person who works at Ristorante La Buca, located at 711 Locust Street has acute Hepatitis A.

https://www.fox29.com/news/health-officials-warn-of-possible-hepatitis-a-exposure-at-center-city-restaurant

By Staff

CBS3

Anyone who dined at the restaurant between Monday, Oct. 28 and Friday, Nov. 15 should receive a Hepatitis A vaccine as soon as possible, officials warn.

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/11/15/health-officials-warn-of-potential-hepatitis-a-exposure-after-ristorante-la-buca-restaurant-worker-confirmed-to-have-disease/

By Staff

Patch.com

Those who have previously received two doses of Hepatitis A vaccine or have had Hepatitis A in the past do not need to be vaccinated, the department said.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/center-city-retaurant-worker-has-hepatitis-health-department

By Max Bennett

PhillyVoice

Anyone who dined at the restaurant between Oct. 28 and Nov. 15 would have been potentially exposed, according to health officials. The Health Department advises that people who haven’t already received two doses of the Hepatitis A vaccine and dined at the restaurant should receive the vaccine as soon as possible. Those who’ve already received two doses of the vaccine or have had Hepatitis A in the past don’t need to be vaccinated, health officials said.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/center-city-hepatitis-a-exposure-philadelphia-health-department-warning-ristorante-la-buca/

By Adam Hermann

6ABC

Officials recommend anyone who visited Ristorante La Buca between October 28 and November 15 receive a Hepatitis A vaccine as soon as possible after a person who works at the restaurant contracted the virus.

https://6abc.com/health/officials-warn-of-possible-hepatitis-a-exposure-at-center-city-restaurant/5700079/

By Staff

2018 HIV Report Release

Release:

The Philadelp

hia Department of Public Health (PDPH) reports promising reductions in new diagnoses of HIV. The number of newly diagnosed persons decreased 14.3% from 495 diagnoses in 2017 to 424 new diagnoses in 2018 with a notable decline of 35.8% in Black men who have sex with men (MSM); the City has experienced steady declines in new HIV diagnoses since the mid-2000s consistent with national trends.

https://www.phila.gov/2019-11-01-city-reports-promising-reductions-in-new-hiv-infections/

Patch

The number of HIV diagnoses in Philadelphia has gone down, according to new date from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

The PDPH released the 2018 HIV Surveillance Report, which contains data reported through June 30, 2019.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/chestnuthill/hiv-diagnosis-rates-philly-drop-dept-public-health

By Max Bennett

PhillyVoice

The city has records of 19,011 people living with HIV, while another 2,019 people are estimated to have the virus without yet knowing. In 2018, Philadelphia’s 424 new HIV diagnoses were down from 495 new diagnoses in 2017. That continues a trend of steady declines since the mid-2000’s.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/philly-hiv-aids-diagnosis-needles-health-departments-report-2019/

By Michael Tanenbaum

Youth E-Cigarette Restriction Announcement

Release

 

WHYY

As dozens of vaping-related lung illnesses are being investigated across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced Wednesday that they will introduce legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes and vape pods from stores that sell to minors.

https://whyy.org/articles/amid-hospitalizations-philadelphia-officials-propose-a-flavored-vape-ban-for-minors/

By Nina Feldman

Fox29

“No one knows what’s in these products,” Dr. Farley explained. “Even the FDA doesn’t know, because they haven’t required manufacturers to submit a list of ingredients.”

https://www.fox29.com/news/dont-vape-mayor-kenney-health-officials-propose-anti-vaping-legislation-to-protect-minors

By Staff

PhillyVoice

Under the proposed bill, sales of various product types would be limited to adult-only stores that require patrons to be at least 18 years old.

The products listed in the legislation include e-cigarettes with more than 20 mg/ml of nicotine salts, e-cigarettes with flavorings and e-liquids with more than 20 mg/ml of nicotine salts or flavorings sold separately.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/vaping-philadelphia-flavored-high-nicotine-sales-restrictions-legislation/

By Michael Tanenbaum

Philly Magazine

At a press conference on Wednesday, city health commissioner Tom Farley noted that 25 percent of high school seniors in Pennsylvania currently use e-cigarettes. (For comparison, less than five percent of the adult population currently vapes.) While the rate of teen vaping was previously declining in the state, the figure doubled from 2017 to 2019. “These teens are not smokers trying to quit,” Farley said, referencing the traditional argument made in favor of e-cigarettes. “These are kids getting addicted to an entirely new product.”

https://www.phillymag.com/news/2019/10/17/philadelphia-vape-laws/

By David Murrell

Metro

Under this new legislation, e-cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes that contain higher levels of nicotine will only be sold in stores that service adults, not children or teens. Kenney said this is a crucial step to make since more and more kids are becoming addicted to e-cigarettes at a young age.

https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/philadelphia/mayor-kenney-proposed-new-e-cigarette-legislation

By Becca Glasser-Baker

CBS3

Philadelphia is joining the crackdown on e-cigarettes as vaping-related illnesses are on the rise across the United States. Mayor Jim Kenney and Health Commissioner Tom Farley announced new legislation proposing restricting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes to minors on Wednesday.

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/10/16/mayor-jim-kenney-restricting-sale-e-cigarette-minors/

By Staff

Inquirer

But Farley noted that many children are going straight to e-cigarettes.

“More than 25% of 12th graders are now vaping,” said Farley. “These teens are not smokers. They’re getting addicted to an entirely new product. No one knows what’s going to happen to these children’s lungs if they use these products for years or decades. We don’t want any more young people clinging to life on a ventilator.”

https://www.inquirer.com/health/philly-restricting-vaping-sales-minors-ecigarette-20191016.html

By Bethany Ao

6ABC

Philadelphia Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley said, “It was done aware of the risks of preemption. But on the other hand, we feel we have to act. So if companies want to take us to court, take us to court. We believe this is the right thing to do to protect our children.”

https://6abc.com/politics/mayor-kenney-announces-crafting-of-new-bill-to-stop-kids-from-vaping/5624201/

By Bob Brooks

KYW

E-cigarettes typically contain 59 milligrams of nicotine per millimeter of liquid. Stores owners that want to allow teens and children inside would have to limit e-cigarette sales to products with no more than 20 milligrams per millimeter–and no added flavoring.

https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/philly-officials-introduce-bill-attempt-limit-e-cigs

By Pat Loeb

NBC10

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley also announced that “Behind the Haze,” a social media campaign spreading awareness on the dangers of vaping, is set to launch next week.

“It shows teens that e-cigarettes contain chemicals that are either of unknown risk or that are in fact known as carcinogens, meaning they can cause cancer,” Dr. Farley said.

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Philadelphia-Mayor-Jim-Kenney-Propose-Plan-Restrict-Vaping-Sales-563217401.html

By Rudy Chinchilla and David Chang

Philly Tribune

E-cigarette manufacturers are not required to submit a list of ingredients to the federal regulators, said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a written statement.

https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/city-council-kenney-aim-to-ban-sale-of-flavored-vaping/article_a8ff964f-7e56-5e48-b70f-19ba856d585d.html

By Michael D’Onofrio

First Human West Nile Virus Case of 2019

Release

https://www.phila.gov/2019-09-17-philadelphia-announces-first-human-case-of-west-nile-virus-in-pa/

Patch

According to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the city has had its first case of a person being diagnosed with the neurologic infection.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has announced that they have found West Nile virus activity in the mosquito population in at least 57 of the 67 counties in the state, including all counties in southeastern Pennsylvania.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/roxborough/s/guhxc/1st-human-case-west-nile-virus-reported-philadelphia

By Max Bennett

PhillyVoice

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley urged residents to take necessary precautions against the virus, a neurologic infection spread by infected mosquitoes.

“We all have a role in preventing the spread of West Nile virus,” Farley said in a statement. “And it’s easy to do: Wear mosquito repellent and dump out standing water.”

https://www.phillyvoice.com/philly-resident-has-west-nile-virus-pas-first-case-year/

By John Kopp

CBS3

There were 17 West Nile virus cases in the city last year.

To report mosquito problems, contact the health department at 215-685-9000.

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/09/17/philadelphia-health-officials-report-first-human-case-of-west-nile-virus-in-2019/

By Staff

Inquirer

The first human case of West Nile virus in 2019 has been reported in Philadelphia, health officials announced Tuesday.

West Nile activity in mosquitoes has also been reported in 57 of 67 Pennsylvania counties to date including all counties in the southeastern part of the state, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health stated.

https://www.inquirer.com/health/west-nile-virus-human-philadelphia-pennsylvania-mosquito-20190917.html

By Mari Schaefer

Fox29

Health officials are working to control the mosquitos throughout the city and advise residents to take precautions to combat the virus.

“We all have a role in preventing the spread of West Nile virus,” Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said. “It’s easy to do: wear mosquito repellent and dump out standing water.”

https://www.fox29.com/news/state-health-officials-confirm-first-human-case-of-west-nile-virus-this-year

By Staff