Press Releases
Year
High Temperatures and Humidity Can Be Extremely Dangerous
 |
 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jul 18, 2017
Contact
John Dwyer, Coordinator / CCEMA
(217) 384-3826 /
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
High Temperatures and Humidity Can Be Extremely Dangerous
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and Champaign County Emergency Management Agency Urge the Public to Take Extra Precautions to Stay Safe in the Heat
Champaign, IL –The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) urge everyone to watch for the symptoms of heat-related illness, and to take precautions to keep their families and communities safe.
Heat-related illness can take many forms ranging from a mild case of heat exhaustion to a more serious and life-threatening case of heat stroke. Heat-related illnesses occur when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. The body’s temperature rises rapidly and the body looses its ability to perspire and cool down. Rising to temperatures of 106 degrees or higher within 10 to 15 minutes can result in death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.
Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness include:
- An extremely high body temperature of 103 degrees or higher
- Red, hot, and dry skin (no signs of perspiration)
- Rapid, strong pulse
- Throbbing headache
- Dizziness or confusion
- Nausea
Never leave children, elderly persons, or pets in a parked car – even for a few minutes with the windows partially open. The metal of the vehicle conducts and concentrates the intense heat and brain damage or even death can occur from the rapid rise of temperature in the vehicle. Children, the elderly, and pets are especially susceptible to heat-related illness due to a variety of factors
including, but not limited to, the inability to adjust to sudden changes in temperature, the tendency to retain more body heat, dehydration due to over activity or exertion, and the lack of access to adequate fluids.
Precautions to avoid heat-related illness:
- Stay hydrated. Drink at least 48-64 ounces of cool non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages (caffeine and alcohol are diuretics and will increase dehydration). Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.
- Reduce the amount of activity during the hottest parts of the day. If you must be active during those times, strive to take frequent breaks in a shady or cool area.
- Wear light-colored and lightweight clothes.
- Take a cool shower or sponge bath if you begin feeling over heated.
- Retreat to an air-conditioned environment if you begin to feel overly warm. If you do not have air conditioning, consider visiting a mall, grocery store, or other public place to cool off.
If you or someone you know shows signs of a heat-related illness, have someone call for medical assistance while you begin the cooling process:
- Take the person to an air-conditioned, cool, or shady area.
- Cool the person rapidly by spraying cold water from a shower or garden hose.
- Monitor the body temperature carefully until the temperature drops below 101-102 degrees.
- Give plenty of cool (not cold) non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages to drink. Get medical assistance as soon as possible.
The following cooling centers are available throughout the local area:
- Champaign-Urbana Public Health District – Champaign
- Marketplace Mall – Champaign
- Public Aid Office, North Country Fair Drive – Champaign
- Lincoln Square Mall – Urbana
- Public Libraries – Champaign, Urbana, Tolono
CUPHD is a kid-friendly cooling center and is open from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday – Friday. CUPHD offers a summer food program for children ages 18 and younger, educational TV, free WiFi, coloring stations, and books for kids.
Anyone can suffer a heat-related illness. CUPHD and CCEMA urge everyone to take precautions in the summer heat and to check on children, the elderly, disabled persons, and pets frequently.
For more information, please visit https://www.illinois.gov/KeepCool/Pages/default.aspx. You may also contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org.
Celebration Will Honor 50,000 Ounces of Local Breast Milk Donations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2017
Contact
Abby Graham, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor
(217) 531‐4322, agraham@c‐uphd.org
Celebration Will Honor 50,000 Ounces of Local Breast Milk Donations
Champaign, IL – On Friday, August 4th the Champaign‐Urbana Public Health District’s (CUPHD’s) breast milk depot will celebrate reaching a goal of 50,000 ounces (440 gallons) of milk donations. Breast milk donations are stored and then sent to the Milk Bank in Indianapolis for medically fragile babies. The celebration will be held outside on the CUPHD lawn from noon to 1:00 p.m.
CUPHD opened its breast milk depot in June 2014. Depots are designated drop‐off locations that store and ship breast milk to milk banks, where it is processed and distributed to premature babies across the US. Prematurity is the leading cause of death for newborns, and breast milk decreases the chances that these infants will develop serious illnesses. Some mothers of premature babies cannot produce breast milk, and therefore many hospitalized babies have a need for donated milk.
The CUPHD milk depot celebration will wrap up World Breastfeeding Week by honoring the local moms that have donated their milk, along with providing fun activities, raffle prizes, and food.
“We are so thankful to the generous moms who have donated breast milk to our depot,” Abby Graham, CUPHD Certified Lactation Counselor, said. “They are providing a life‐saving resource for fragile infants.”
The breast milk depot is housed in CUPHD’s Maternal and Child Health division, which promotes breastfeeding as the healthiest nutrition for all babies. The division’s staff includes eight Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) and one International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), who serve Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Family Case Management mothers. CUPHD also provides breast pumps to mothers in these programs.
For more information: www.c‐uphd.org/breast‐milk‐donation.html To become a breast milk donor: www.themilkbank.org
###
E‐cigarettes: Not Harmless Water Vapor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2017
Contact
Tara McCauley, Special Projects Coordinator
217‐531‐4252, tmccauley@c‐uphd.org
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
E‐cigarettes: Not Harmless Water Vapor
CUPHD Highlights Health Concerns Associated with Vaping
Champaign, IL – The Champaign‐Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) has released an infographic highlighting the health hazards of e‐cigarettes, as well as recommended solutions to protect public health. The infographic is available at www.facebook.com/wechoosehealthchampaign.
The flyer describes the toxic chemicals in e‐cigarettes. Studies have found that e‐cigarette vapor contains chemicals found in formaldehyde, antifreeze, pesticides, and heavy metals. The chemicals are known causes of serious health issues such as cancer, popcorn lung, bone marrow damage, and fetus neurodevelopmental damage. For these and other reasons, a 2016 US Surgeon General report designated e‐cigarettes as a national public health threat.
The health hazards of cigarettes are more alarming because e‐cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among youth for several years. Over two million middle and high school students were e‐cigarette users in 2016, compared to 1.43 million cigarette smokers. In Champaign County, approximately nine percent of twelfth graders used e‐cigarettes in 2016, compared to four percent who used cigarettes.
Additionally, contrary to popular perception e‐cigarettes do not help smokers quit. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved e‐cigarettes as a cessation method, and most e‐cigarette users also smoke conventional cigarettes. This is referred to as dual use.
Tara McCauley, Special Projects Coordinator, said, “E‐cigarette marketing has misled the public about the safety of vaping. I hope that our infographic sheds some light on health effects of e‐cigarettes.”
The public health community recommends e‐cigarette‐free spaces as one important strategy to curb ecigarette exposure. Matching e‐cigarette‐free policies to smoke‐free policies protects people from secondhand vapors and reduces e‐cigarette use. In Champaign County at least 300 businesses and organizations already have e‐cigarette‐free policies. Additional e‐cigarette prevention recommendations include better enforcement of existing age restriction laws and reduced e‐cigarette marketing.
CUPHD’s tobacco prevention project is part of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Free Communities initiative.
For more information: www.c‐uphd.org/tobacco.html
###