Each year, about 3,500 button battery swallowing cases are reported to U.S. poison control centers.  Serious injuries and deaths are on the rise.

The most serious cases involve nickel-sized 20 mm diameter batteries.  These can get stuck in a child’s throat and burn through the esophagus in as little as two hours.  Repair can require feeding and breathing tubes and multiple surgeries.

Kids under 4 are at the greatest risk.

For more information visit http://thebatterycontrolled.com/

 Many slim, sleek devices have battery compartments that are easy to open and most parents do not know there is a risk.

Symptoms may be similar to other illnesses, such as coughing, drooling, and discomfort.  Children can usually breathe with the battery in their throat, making the problem difficult to spot.

Learn more at  the National Battery Ingestion Hotline: 202-625-3333.

 Take Charge, Act Now.

1. Keep devices with button batteries out of reach if the battery compartments aren’t secure, and lock away loose batteries
2. If a child swallows a button battery, go to the emergency room right away.  Do not let the child eat or drink and do not induce vomiting.
3. Share this information with others.

The Summit County Health Department, in partnership with other community organizations has conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment. The purpose of the assessment was to identify the health and safety needs of Summit County residents. It will now help to inform strategic planning efforts that will be designed to improve overall health and safety. In addition, the assessment is being presented as a community resource for all organizations and individuals.

Click here to download the Summit County Community Health Needs Assessment.
 

In order to conduct the assessment, the Health Department contracted with the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Utah. The next step was to identify community partners and resources for the assessment and then identify a stakeholder group. From there, existing data sources were reviewed followed by conducting focus groups. Follow-up surveys will be conducted among youth and Hispanic/Latino groups.

The stakeholder group was comprised of representatives from the majority of Summit County demographics. The group included schools, government, health, business, youth, seniors, Hispanic, faith-based, community and rural representatives. The stakeholder group identified target populations in which focus groups were conducted and recommended potential participants for those focus groups. The five focus groups included South Summit, North Summit, Western Summit, Hispanic/Latino and youth.

Results of the focus groups identified:

• Issues surrounding mental health, substance abuse, transportation and access to dental services were identified in all groups.
• The youth in the surveys identified “drug abuse,” alcohol, and ineffective education (drugs, alcohol, sex) as an issue.
• Senior services in the county were identified as general gap.
• High cost of health and mental health services are issues for county residents.
• There is a general lack of awareness of existing services.
• There is a lack of trusted sources of information for youth and Hispanic/Latino groups.

With this information, the Health Department, in partnership with other community organizations plans to develop ongoing quality improvement initiatives. The Health Department will also be formulating a Strategic Plan utilizing this data.

As a member of the National Association of Counties, Summit County is able to offer a FREE prescription discount card.

Go to the CVS Caremark site at www2.caremark.com/naco/ and print your card. Discounts are valid at participating pharmacies only. Click here to locate participating pharmacies in your area.

A Food Handlers Card is required to work in a food service establishment. An opportunity to obtain a food handlers card is provided through classroom instruction and testing on safe food handling procedures. Classes are taught throughout the year in both English and Spanish. Click here to view the 2012 Food Handlers Schedule.

All Food Service managers need to attend a Food Managers Certification Course. Click here to view the 2012 Food Managers Certification Course providers.

Safe Food Practices helps to remind all food service workers on safe food handling and proper procedures.

In 2010, 25 families were devastated to learn that their teenager had been killed in a motor vehicle crash. Last week, these families shared their stories to encourage other drivers to use caution on the road.

Click here to download the “All They Left Were Memories” booklet.

Johnny Reyes’ 19-year-old daughter Vanessa, a young mother to a three-month-old baby, was killed on June 26, 2010. Vanessa and four of her friends were coming home from a camping trip in Ogden Canyon when the driver of their car made a bad decision in crossing a double yellow line to pass another car of friends. As they went around the corner, they were hit head-on by a heavy-duty pickup truck, killing all five teens instantly.

“The scene of the crash was like a horrible nightmare. It was quiet; no ambulance, just a tow truck. I just wanted to see my daughter, but all I saw was mangled metal,” recalled Reyes. “I can’t begin to describe the emotions one feels knowing they will never see or hear their child again. The pain of knowing a small child will never know his mother and we will never hug her again. All because of a choice someone else made.”

This is the fourth year the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) has collected stories of teenagers killed in motor vehicle crashes. The book will be used by the UDOH and other state and local agencies as a prevention tool to help young drivers realize the impact their decisions have on others. For the past three years, similar books have been distributed to all high school driver education classes in the state. New to the book this year, is a map showing the location of each of the 25 deaths that occurred in 2010.

Fourteen (56%) of the teens killed in 2010 were passengers in a car. Ten (40%) were drivers and one (4%) was a pedestrian. Sixty percent of the crashes occurred on a weekend. Surprisingly, it isn’t along major freeways where the majority of these fatal crashes occurred; 14 (56%) of the deaths occurred on rural roadways.

“This book shows the ripple effect our driving decisions can have on our families, friends, and communities,” said Jenny Johnson, UDOH Violence and Injury Prevention Program. “Last year, there were three separate crashes in which nine young people died. More than one-quarter (28%) of the teens killed died in Weber County alone. The devastation these deaths have had on families and communities is just indescribable.”

Teen drivers were three times more likely to have a contributing factor, such as speeding, in a fatal crash. In addition to speeding, the most common contributing factors in fatal crashes were failing to stay in the proper lane, failing to yield right-of-way, and driving distracted. Only 35 percent of the teens killed in 2010 were wearing a seat belt.

“Let this book serve as a warning,” said Johnson. “Talk with your loved ones, friends, and classmates about these how these tragedies might have been prevented. Always wear your seat belt and set rules for your car and whenever you ride in a car.”

It is a habit we all have – leaving our cars running while they are sitting still, or idling. Although it may be for just a few minutes a day that we leave the engine on, the pollutants and health problems add up. This is why Summit County has passed the Idle Free Resolution for Motorized Vehicles and has declared this to be an idle-free county.

Click here to download the Idle Free Resolution for Motorized Vechicles in Summit County.

This new resolution is asking residents, guests and visitors within the county limits to not exceed a three-minute idling time in their gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles. The following are exceptions to this resolution:

1. If the vehicle forced to remain motionless on a public road due to traffic,
2. If the vehicle is an emergency vehicle used in an emergency situation.
3. If idling is necessary to produce auxiliary power for law enforcement equipment, refrigeration units, loading/unloading lift, well drilling and farming.
4. If idling is necessary for inspection or repairs to the vehicle.
5. If the health and safety of the passengers and driver requires the vehicle to idle, including instances where the temperature is below 32 degrees F or above 90 degrees F.

The hazards from this unnecessary habit are many. While sitting in an idling vehicle, drivers are exposed to higher levels of vehicle pollution than when the vehicle is in motion because exhaust enters the cabin. Studies have linked pollution from vehicles to increased rates of cancer, heart and lung disease and asthma. Asthma is the leading cause of hospitalizations for children under the age of 15.  Children, whose lungs are still developing, are at a higher risk because they breathe more rapidly and inhale more pollutants per pound of body weight than adults.   In addition to these health risks there are environmental and financial costs to idling vehicles.

We have all seen what vehicle emissions have done to the air quality of many Utah cities and winter driving presents its own set of challenges. In winter months, emissions from an idling vehicle are more than double the normal level.  However, there are things that we can do to make our air a little cleaner.

First, turn off your engine if you are going to wait (except in traffic) and reduce warm-up idling.  Today’s modern engine needs no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving.  Driving is actually the best way to warm up your vehicle it cuts warm-up times in half.  With computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away.  Older cars should only warm for a couple of minutes. Anything more simply wastes fuel and increases emissions. Next, trip planning is particularly important in the winter, the fewer cold starts you make the better.  Instead of several quick trips, combine all your errands into one run and select your route carefully.  Chances are the engine will stay relatively warm while you are out of the vehicle, which will minimize fuel consumption and pollution levels when you restart it. 

Let’s begin to clear the air in Summit County. The first step we can take is to turn our engines off and be idle free. With this simple action, we can provide better air for everyone.

Sleeping bag? Check. Hiking boots? Check. Safety guidelines? A must! While the preparations for a family camping or hiking trip usually include a review of the necessary gear, parents should also review safety guidelines with their children, paying special attention to potential hazards specific to camping, hiking, outdoor recreation, water, and falls.

“Going camping or hiking can be wonderful activities for parents to do with their children, but it is essential to remember key safety guidelines as you’ll be leaving the daily environment your kids are used to,” says Geri Essen Safe Kids Summit County coordinator. “A campfire is a serious responsibility because it’s the only situation where a family is purposely starting a fire outdoors and a long way from a pressurized water supply or the nearest fire engine.”

Campfires, portable stoves, heaters and fuel-burning lanterns – in addition to the danger of starting an uncontrolled brush fire – all produce carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless and odorless gas that can poison a child very quickly. “About 30 campers each year die of CO poisoning,” says Essen. “If someone near a campfire or portable stove seems drowsy, disoriented or sick, move that person away from the fire immediately to get some fresh air.”

Safe Kids Summit County recommends these safety guidelines around campfires and portable heating devices:

• Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
• Never use matches, lighters, candles or any device powered by kerosene, propane or other heating fuel inside a tent or camper.
• Always actively supervise children near a campfire or portable stove. Follow posted rules about campfires, and do not light fires in windy or excessively dry conditions.
• Keep a bucket of water and a shovel near the fire at all times, and extinguish the fire completely before going to sleep or leaving the site.

Also keep these guidelines in mind while camping and hiking:

• Keep first aid supplies and emergency phone numbers handy, and know where the nearest phone is located. Cell phones might not work in remote areas.
• Let friends and relatives know where you are going and when you are coming home.
• Never let children hike alone.
• Dress children in layers of clothing to help prevent heat-related illness and hypothermia. A child’s body temperature changes faster than an adult’s.
• Do not push kids to go on a longer or more strenuous hike than they can handle. Exhausted children are more likely to fall, wander off or otherwise get injured.
• Bring plenty of drinking water or sports drinks and high-energy snacks.
• Kids should wear hiking boots and clothing that offers protection from scrapes, bites and poisonous plants. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, apply insect repellent to a child’s clothing and exposed skin.
• Always supervise young children near water and insist your children wear personal flotation devices when out on boats, near open bodies of water or participating in water sports.

• Apply sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher to your child’s exposed skin 15 to 30 minutes before going out, and reapply frequently. It is possible to get a sunburn in cloudy conditions.

The recent disasters in New Zealand and Haiti remind us all of the importance of being prepared for any situation. Disasters aren’t just earthquakes and floods. A disaster is any situation that overwhelms your own resources. A house fire, causing you to evacuate your home for a few days can be a disaster. A snow storm that forces everyone to stay in their houses for days at a time can be a disaster.

In order to prepare for any disaster or emergency, families and individuals need to establish plans, prepared 72-hour kits and understand the potential threats around them. The “Summit County Family Emergency Preparedness Guide” is available for residents to help in their emergency preparedness. The Guide is available for free on-line at www.summitcounty.org. If you or your organization would like free copies for distribution, they are available by calling the Summit County Health Department at 615-3951.

The quality of the air we breathe is essential to healthy living. Air pollution damages lung tissues and may weaken the body’s ability to defend itself from sickness and disease. Poor air quality can trigger asthma and impair lung function, especially in children. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that U.S. residents spend 90 percent of a typical day indoors and that many pollutants are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. Since most county residents spend most of their days in schools and workplaces, having a healthy and safe indoor air quality environment is very important.

The Summit County Health Department (SCHD) provides resource information on various sources of air pollutants, such as: radon, mold, lead, asbestos and carbon monoxide. SCHD does not typically perform indoor air quality investigations; however, our staff is available to assist the general public with their concerns and/or questions regarding indoor air quality.

Common indoor air pollutants include Radon, Mold, Lead, Asbestos and Carbon Monoxide. For information on these pollutants and how to keep your home healthy, please visit the Indoor Air Quality page by clicking here.