The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in recognizing June as the second annual National Healthy Homes Month (NHHM).

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Smoke Free Homes Registry, which was launched in 2012, has reached 1,000 properties. In order to be entered in the registry, a property must have at least one building that is 100 percent smoke free and must have this specified in the lease language. “The best way to protect against exposure to secondhand smoke is to make sure the places we live and work are smoke free,” said IDPH Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Director Jerilyn Oshel. “Globally, 6 million people die each year due to tobacco-related causes and 600,000 of those are people die from secondhand smoke.”

Most people with prediabetes don’t know they have it; in fact, more than one in three Iowa adults have prediabetes, which means they are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, people with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and serious diabetes-related complications.

Governor Branstad will sign a state proclamation Wednesday, February 22, recognizing March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness month in Iowa. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Iowa and seven out of 10 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer had no signs or symptoms. 

February is National Children’s Dental Health month. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds Iowans the key to a lifelong, healthy smile is early preventive care. Beginning regular dental visits by the age of 1, using fluoridated water, and brushing twice a day can help prevent painful cavities from forming in a child’s mouth.