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February 25, 2014 – The Peterborough Public Health is issuing a Frostbite Alert for Wednesday, February 26 for Peterborough City and County, and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations.  The forecasted wind chill value is expected to reach -31.

Your help supporting vulnerable populations who could be at risk during this extreme cold event is greatly appreciated. A poster with helpful tips to prevent frostbite is attached for use at your facility.

During the Frostbite Alert, the Lighthouse Community Centre will be open Monday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at 99 Brock St. (St. John’s Anglican Church) and on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at 175 Murray St. Baptist Church.

The Warming Room details:

The Warming Room will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. at All Saints Anglican Church located on the corner of Sherbrooke and Rubidge Streets.

On Tuesday and Saturday, The Warming Room is open from 9:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. and located at Murray St. Baptist Church on Murray St. between Aylmer and George Sts.

The program is run by the City, St. John’s Anglican Church, George Street United Church, and All Saints Anglican Church.

The Public Health has been closely monitoring the weather forecast for this week. This Frostbite Alert is being issued to help residents prepare for the extremely cold weather in the forecast.

A Frostbite Alert is issued when temperatures are forecasted to be from -27ºC to -38ºC or a wind chill of -27 to -38. Depending on changes to the weather forecast over the next few days, the Frostbite Alert may be elevated to a Frostbite Warning or lifted.

February 20, 2014 –  Expert Prenatal Advice and Newborn Parenting Tips!

140220 mom & babyExpectant parents and their families are invited to a fun and informative night out by attending the Prenatal Health Fair hosted by Peterborough Public Health at the Holiday Inn on Monday, February 24 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

This event is free and open to everyone with an interest in learning how best to prepare for having a baby, and about the supports available in the Peterborough area.  The Prenatal Health Fair features interactive displays and demonstrations on a wide variety of topics such as nutrition for baby and Mom, becoming a parent, baby’s development, and much more.

Car seat experts from the newly-formed Peterborough and Area Car Seat Committee will share tips and answer questions about how to safely buckle up your baby, a massage therapist will demonstrate infant massage techniques, a chiropractor will recommend ways to prevent back pain in pregnancy and hospital staff will share the many ways they provide support to get breastfeeding off to a good start.  Fathers-to-be won’t want to miss trying on the “Empathy Belly” and visiting the fathering display.  You might even win one of two beautiful door prizes!

For more details, please call Kris Hazlitt at Peterborough Public Health at (705) 743-1000, ext. 254.

 

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For further information, please contact:
Helen Ames, Public Health Nurse
Peterborough Public Health
(705) 743-1000, ext. 214

February 18, 2014 – Free Presentation and Panel Discussion on February 25 for Parents, Teachers and Child Workers

Parents, teachers, and anyone who cares for children are invited to a free event entitled “Bullying and Beyond” taking place Tuesday, February 25, 2014 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Peterborough Public Library Auditorium.

The event features an abridged version of the film “Bully”, followed by a panel discussion with opportunities for the audience to ask questions of the following community experts:

  • Stan Baker, Safe, Caring and Restorative Schools Resource Teacher for Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
  • Karen Stoker, Special Education Consultant with responsibilities for Safe School for the Peterborough Victoria Clarington Northumberland Catholic District School Board
  • Jamie Emerson, Executive Director, Peterborough Youth Services
  • John MacLeod, Peterborough Lakefield Community Police
  • Grace Loucks, parent and member of the Kinark Parent Advisory Committee

Light refreshments provided, and there will be information tables and displays from local agencies that deal with bullying and children’s mental health.

The BULLY Project is a US-based social action campaign inspired by the award-winning film “Bully”. It has sparked an international movement to stop bullying that is transforming kids’ lives and changing a culture of bullying into one of empathy and action.  The power of its work lies in the participation of individuals and the remarkable list of partners who have gathered to collectively work to create safe, caring, and respectful schools and communities.  For more information about The Bully Project, and to see a trailer for the movie, visit www.thebullyproject.com.

Peterborough Healthy Families is a multi-agency initiative made up of several local community partners, including Peterborough Public Health, Kinark Child and Family Services, Learning Disabilities Association-Peterborough, Peterborough Family Resource Centre, Peterborough Public Library, and the Asphodel Norwood Public Library.

For more information, please call 705-742-3803 or 1-800-386-6561 or visit www.peterboroughhealthyfamilies.ca.

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For further information, please contact:

 

Leisa Baker                                                                     Sylvia Davies

Public Health Nurse                                                       Volunteer & Community Relations

Peterborough Public Health                     Kinark Child and Family Services

705-743-1000, ext. 312                                                705-742-3803, ext. 343

 

February 18, 2014 – New Fentanyl Patch Return Program Aims to Keep Drug Users and Community Safe

Thanks to the fast-acting collaboration of local healthcare providers and Peterborough Public Health, a new initiative to reduce the harm caused by fentanyl misuse is now in play for our community.

“I’m proud of how quickly physicians, pharmacists and other local partners came together to respond to this growing and very dangerous problem in our community,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra.

Since the government wisely chose to discontinue funding OxyContin in 2012, those who use opiates illicitly have chosen to shift their focus to other opiates, such as fentanyl.  Evidence from local addictions treatment centres and the Emergency Department in 2013 suggested that incidence of fentanyl overdose was increasing. This is concerning as fentanyl is among the strongest of the opiates, being 750 times stronger than codeine.

In response to this situation, Public Health teamed up with a group of pharmacists, physicians and law enforcement officials to develop the Fentanyl Patch Return Program to minimize the harms associated with fentanyl misuse.

Under this program, individuals who use fentanyl are required to return used patches to their pharmacists before they are dispensed the next set of patches. This practice discourages diversion of used patches from which the remaining drug is harvested for illicit use.

“The success of this program requires collaboration among the prescribers, the pharmacist, and the patients.  Physicians and other prescribers are being asked to discuss this practice with all patients who receive a prescription for fentanyl and to also direct pharmacists to collect used patches through an indication on the prescription,” said Dr. Salvaterra.

When dispensing the patient’s fentanyl prescription, pharmacists provide the patient with the Opioid Patch Exchange Disposal Tool along with their fentanyl patches. At the patient’s next visit, the pharmacists then collect the used patches as indicated on the prescription, ensure they are accounted for, and then dispose of them appropriately.

Opioid overdose in Ontario is a serious public health problem. Accidental opioid deaths are a leading cause of unintentional death, often surpassing fatalities from motor vehicle collisions. Although victims include those who experiment with and/or who are addicted to opioids, the majority of victims are citizens who are using opioids as prescribed.  The most recent data indicates that more than 500 Ontarians (median age of 40) died in 2011 of an opioid-related overdose, and 20% of these were specifically due to fentanyl.  The majority of these individuals had a prescription for an opioid dated within four weeks of their death.  Local data from 2010 indicates that approximately 25% of all drug overdoses are due to prescription opioids, and anecdotally health authorities know this has increased to at least half in recent years.

Since the discontinuation of funding for OxyContin in 2012, reports indicate that individuals who use opioids are changing their drug of choice to other substances such as heroin, hydromorphone, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl.  Recent media reports and anecdotal data suggest that fentanyl is making its way to the street by means of finding inappropriately disposed of used patches, stealing new or used patches, or purchasing patches from those who have legal prescriptions.  It is then being cut up and chewed, smoked or extracted from patches and injected, which is dangerous considering the high potency of fentanyl and that it is meant to be a slow-release drug.

For more information, please visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.  In the “For Professionals” section, on the webpage for “Alcohol & Other Drugs” there is a document entitled Fentanyl Patch Return Program FAQ and a copy of the Opioid Patch Exchange Disposal Tool.

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For further information, please contact:

Deanna VandenBroek
Substance Misuse Prevention Program
(705) 743-1000, ext. 223

 

February 14, 2014 – On Wednesday night the Board of Health voted unanimously to advocate for an e-cigarette ban on all school properties in the City and County of Peterborough.

“The issue of e-cigarettes is new territory for public health, because there haven’t been many scientific studies done to date, and expert opinions are divided regarding their actual health impact,” stated Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health for the Peterborough County-City Board of Health.  “We do know that major tobacco companies are involved in the e-cigarette market, and that current marketing and promotion of e-cigarettes mirrors the early days of cigarette promotion.  I applaud the board’s prudent stance to advocate for a ban on e-cigarettes at schools so they don’t become a gateway product to cigarette smoking by youth.”

The Board of Health voted to act in a number of ways following a staff report discussed at Wednesday night’s meeting that outlined the complexity of the issue.  

Proponents tend to take a harm reduction approach, emphasizing that even with limited evidence e-cigarettes pose a substantially lower health risk compared to cigarettes (as there is no combustion), representing a cleaner delivery system that satisfies nicotine addiction and habitual smoking behaviours. As well, proponents believe that e-cigarettes can be effective in helping smokers reduce their cigarette consumption and/or quit altogether. 

Opponents emphasize that the sale and promotion of e-cigarettes should only be permitted after they have undergone rigorous clinical trials to prove their safety and efficacy as cessation aids and appropriate regulation is in effect. The long-term risk of inhaling propylene glycol (one of the main ingredients) is still unknown and lack of manufacturing standards means there is significant variation in nicotine and other chemical content, which poses a health risk to the user. Many fear that e-cigarettes, both with and without nicotine, have the potential to undermine current smoke-free regulations, complicate enforcement, and will re-normalize smoking thus making the habit more attractive, especially among youth and young adults, and could potentially lead to an increase in dual use (e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes).

In addition to sending a letter to both local school boards recommending they prohibit e-cigarettes on their properties, the Board of Health voted to advocate to Health Canada for regulation on the manufacture, sale, promotion, display, and use of e-cigarettes.  The board also committed to ask the provincial government for legislation prohibiting of e-cigarettes on all school property, and direct staff to prepare a resolution regarding e-cigarettes to bring forward at the Association of Local Public Health Agencies’ Annual General Meeting in June 2014.

What is an e-cigarette?

An e-cigarette is a device designed to mimic the appearance and feel of a regular cigarette, pipe or cigar, but with one critical difference – they do not contain tobacco.  They typically consist of a cartridge containing a liquid (often referred to as e-liquid) that is turned into a vapour by a battery-powered atomizer.  Cartridges come in a vast assortment of flavours, and can contain nicotine, sometimes at very high levels.  Since e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, they are not covered under the Tobacco Act or the Smoke-Free Ontario Act and thus the regulation of e-cigarettes as a commercial product is a federal responsibility.

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 For further information, please contact:

Brittany Cadence
Communications Supervisor
(705) 743-1000, ext. 391

 

February 14, 2014 – Click here to view the Board of Health Meeting Summary from February 12

February 11, 2014 – The Peterborough Public Health has issued a Frostbite Alert for February 11 and 12 for Peterborough City and County, and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations.  The forecasted wind chill values are expected to range from -27 to -30.

Your help supporting vulnerable populations who could be at risk during this extreme cold event is greatly appreciated. A poster with helpful tips to prevent frostbite is attached for use at your facility.

During the Frostbite Alert, the Lighthouse Community Centre will be open Monday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at 99 Brock St. (St. John’s Anglican Church) and on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at 175 Murray St. Baptist Church.

The Warming Room details:

The Warming Room will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. at All Saints Anglican Church located on the corner of Sherbrooke and Rubidge Streets.

On Tuesday and Saturday, The Warming Room is open from 9:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. and located at Murray St. Baptist Church on Murray St. between Aylmer and George Sts.

The program is run by the City, St. John’s Anglican Church, George Street United Church, and All Saints Anglican Church.

The Public Health has been closely monitoring the weather forecast for this week. This Frostbite Alert is being issued to help residents prepare for the extremely cold weather in the forecast.

A Frostbite Alert is issued when temperatures are forecasted to be from -27ºC to -38ºC or a wind chill of -27 to -38. Depending on changes to the weather forecast over the next few days, the Frostbite Alert may be elevated to a Frostbite Warning or lifted.

 

February 11, 2014 – Fresh, Healthy, Local Food Coming to Peterborough Thanks to Public Health

An innovative project led by Peterborough Public Health means fresh, healthy breakfast made from local food will be on the plates of students in the Peterborough area.

With support from the Greenbelt Fund, and funding from the Ontario government, Peterborough Public Health and multiple partners will find new ways to link local food and farming to their 47 Student Nutrition Programs through education and local food purchasing.

“With three children of my own, I can relate to the need for feeding healthy, local food to kids. The Peterborough Public Health and Food For Kids Peterborough and County are taking leadership in their community with this project. The result—more local food for Ontarians and happier, healthier students,” said Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund.

The project, Increasing Local Food in Student Nutrition Programs ($20,000), will create new market opportunities for at least five farmers, and will connect local food to the curriculum. The Public Health will work with Food For Kids Peterborough and County as well as Farms at Work and the YWCA of Peterborough Haliburton on this program.

“By providing quality local food to Peterborough students, the County-City Public Health is showing great leadership. Our government’s support for this important project will bring more of the good things grown in Ontario to our schools, markets, grocery stores, and restaurants while supporting our farmers, strengthening our communities, and boosting our economy,” said Jeff Leal, Minister of Rural Affairs and MPP for Peterborough.

“Food For Kids is pleased to have the opportunity to increase our capacity with local farmers so that we can offer locally grown food in our schools,” said Brenda Dales, Chair of Food For Kids Peterborough and County. “We recognize the benefits of supporting our local economy while also providing our children and youth with the best quality food.”

For a more detailed description of this project and other grants that are a part of the Greenbelt Fund’s Regional Food Grant Program, please visit Ontariofresh.ca.

Since its launch in 2010, the Greenbelt Fund has supported 78 projects with funding totalling $7.4 million, increasing the amount of local food available across the province. The province’s total investments toward broader sector programming means a targeted return of $38.9 million in additional Ontario food in daycares, schools, universities, and colleges—or a five to one return on investment for every dollar spent.

 

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About the Greenbelt Fund:

The Greenbelt Fund, a non-profit organization, supports and enhances the viability, integrity, and sustainability of agriculture in the Greenbelt and Ontario.

The Fund delivers support to farmers and local food leaders to ensure more of the good things that grow in Ontario are being served and distributed through our public institutions, retail, and foodservice markets. Helping to overcome challenges and support economic growth, the Fund’s goal is to create systemic change to permanently increase the amount of local food consumed in the province through grants, education, policy, and networking initiatives. The Fund is supported by public and private sources. For more information about the program and grants visit Ontariofresh.ca. For more information on local food visit foodlandontario.ca.

For more information about the Ontario government’s new Local Food Act and broader local food strategy, visit the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food website.

 

Contact:

Jennifer Asselin
Communications Manager
Greenbelt Fund
Phone: (416) 960-0001, ext. 306
Mobile: (416) 564-8606
jasselin@greenbeltfund.ca

Grant Information:

Peterborough Public Health Increasing Local Food in Student Nutrition

Programs ($20,000)

The Peterborough Public Health will work with Food For Kids Peterborough and County as well as Farms at Work and the YWCA of Peterborough Haliburton to link local food and farming to 47 Student Nutrition Programs through both education and purchasing. The project will create new market opportunities for at least five farmers, and will connect local food to the curriculum.

 

 

 

February 10, 2014 – With the forecast of warmer temperatures Peterborough Public Health is lifting the Frostbite Alert issued last week for residents of Peterborough County and City and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations.

Even though the Frostbite Alert has been lifted, residents are reminded to take precautions in cold weather, including dressing warmly and in layers, watching for signs of hypothermia and frostbite, and checking on the elderly and people with disabilities who live alone.  The Public Health will continue to monitor the weather forecasts throughout the winter and issue frostbite alerts, warnings or emergencies when forecasted temperatures or wind chill values reach thresholds as indicated in the Extreme Cold Response Plan.

Further information about staying healthy in extreme cold conditions and Public Health’s Extreme Cold Response Plan can be found at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca under “My Home & Environment” by clicking on “Extreme Weather – Cold”.

 

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For further information, please contact:

Brittany Cadence
Communications Supervisor
(705) 743-1000, ext. 391

February 7, 2014 – Location: Council Chambers, Peterborough County Court House

The community is advised that the next meeting of the Board of Health will take place on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 4:45 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Peterborough County Court House located at 470 Water Street, Peterborough.

To download the agenda and the online board package, please visit:

http://www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/about-us/about-us-2/board-of-health/meeting-agendas

The meeting is open to the community and members of the media.

For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Supervisor
Peterborough Public Health
(705) 743-1000, ext. 391