Beat the Heat Wave As extreme heat grips the Northeast, the Health Department and the city’s Office of Emergency Management are urging New Yorkers to take steps to stay cool and stay safe. Heat illness can be life-threatening, especially for kids younger than five and adults older than 64. Cooling centers will be open through Sunday, July 20, for those seeking relief from the heat. New Yorkers can also stay cool by visiting air-conditioned places like community centers, movie theaters, museums, and other public spaces.
Find a cooling center Learn more about extreme heat safety Learn how to prevent heat illness Read Ready New York: Beat the Heat Read the press release
After Cigarette Price Increase, Calls to 311 for Help to Quit Smoking Tripled When the price of cigarettes topped ten dollars a pack at some city outlets last month, thousands of smokers knew it was time to quit. More than 2,700 New Yorkers called for help in the week starting June 2nd compared to about 850 in the same period in 2007. In addition to the callers, about 1,600 smokers got free nicotine patches on June 3rd at sites across the five boroughs. Read the press release Visit the Quit June 3 Web site
Health Department Launches MySpace Campaign to Help Young New Yorkers Cope The Health Department has announced a new online campaign to engage teenagers grappling with depression, drugs, and violence, and to encourage them to seek help. NYC Teen Mindspace, posted on MySpace, is the agency’s first effort to promote health through Web-based social networking – a medium with great potential because of its popularity with young people. Read the press release Check out the MySpace page(link will open in a new browser window)
New Data Show that Child Lead Poisonings Fell by 15% in New York City Last Year Childhood lead poisoning declined by 15% last year, reaching the lowest rate ever recorded in New York City. The 2007 caseload – 1,970 poisonings among children between 6 months and 6 years of age – marks a 90% decline since 1995, when nearly 20,000 children were identified with lead poisoning. Read the press release
Final Phase of Trans Fat Regulation Takes Effect July 1 New York City restaurants will be safer for the hearts of New Yorkers. The final phase of the City’s trans fat regulation takes effect July 1, requiring restaurants to clear artificial trans fat from all their menu items. As of July 1, all foods served, including baked goods, oils, shortenings and margarines used for baking, and pre-prepared items that contain artificial trans fat, must have less that 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Read the press release Find out how to comply on this website Find out how to comply with this PDF
Safer Sex in the City New Yorkers with multiple sex partners, and low rates of condom use, are putting themselves at risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, or unplanned pregnancy. According to a new Health Department report – Are New Yorkers Having Safe Sex? – rates of unsafe sexual behavior, particularly among men who have sex with men, continue at a high rate. In 2006 alone, more than half of all New York City pregnancies were unplanned and more than 60,000 new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were reported – including 3,745 new HIV diagnoses. Read the press release Read the report (PDF)
Health Department Statement Regarding Rapid HIV Testing Oral testing increases the number of people who can get tested for HIV. Between October 2007 and April 2008, the Health Department documented a higher-than-usual percentage of false positive oral HIV tests in STD clinics, with the false-positive rate reaching 1.1% in some months. This rate is below the FDA threshold of 2% but higher than expected. Overall, less than a third of one percent – 0.3% – of the more than 130,000 oral tests performed at the Health Department’s STD clinics have yielded false positives. Read the statement (PDF)
9/11 Health Information 9/11 Health
is a comprehensive web site that provides
information about treatment and services for people who may have health problems related to the collapse of the World Trade Center. Visit
www.nyc.gov/9-11HealthInfo
1-800-LIFENET
If you or someone you know in the New York City area is suffering with emotional or substance abuse problems, LifeNet can help, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Learn more...
Community Health Profiles The Health Department produces comprehensive reports that detail the health of all New York City neighborhoods. Learn more...
The Fund for Public Health in New York, Inc. The Fund for Public Health in New York, Inc. is dedicated to the advancement of the health and well-being of all New York City residents. Learn more...
ACCESS NYC for Benefit Information
ACCESS NYC is a
web site to screen your family for up to 35 City, State, and Federal health and human service benefit programs. In addition to screening, you can learn about the programs, how to apply, where to go, and even print filled in applications. Visit www.nyc.gov/accessnyc
Read the press release
