February 7, 2014 – The Peterborough Public Health has issued a Frostbite Alert starting Sunday, February 9 because of a forecasted wind chill of -29.

Extreme cold events are a potentially significant health risk and can have a severe impact on the health of vulnerable populations including infants, the elderly, people with circulatory problems, and the marginally housed.  Local social service agencies rely on Public Health frostbite alerts to determine if services should be extended or enhanced.

In order to protect the health of people in Peterborough County and City and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations, Public Health advises local residents to take the following precautions:

• Check face and extremities frequently for signs of frostbite. Exposed skin can freeze in as little as 10 to 30 minutes.
• Consider re-scheduling outdoor recreational activities, especially during the evening. There is a serious risk of hypothermia if outdoors for long periods.
• Use caution when shoveling snow especially for those that have heart, respiratory (breathing) problems or other medical conditions. Snow shoveling is strenuous and can cause an onset of heart or respiratory problems.
• Check on the elderly or people with disabilities living alone.

Frostbite can permanently damage the body. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures.  Since frostbite and hypothermia both result from exposure, first check whether the victim also shows signs of hypothermia.

Warnings signs of hypothermia:

Adults:

• shivering, exhaustion
• confusion, fumbling hands
• memory loss, slurred speech
• drowsiness

Infants:

• bright red, cold skin
• very low energy

Hypothermia is a very serious medical condition and requires emergency medical assistance. If there is frostbite but no sign of hypothermia and immediate medical care is not available:

• Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
• Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes—this increases the damage.
• Immerse the affected area in warm—not hot—water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body).
• Or, warm the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers.
• Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage.
• Don’t use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency and frostbite should be evaluated by a health care provider

• Do not rub areas that appear to be affected by frostbite.
• Seek medical care if you think you have frostbite.

Increases in other health problems can also be seen, especially for those with other chronic medical conditions such as heart conditions.

Further information about the health risks of extreme cold 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 5, 2014 –Auburn Village Gardens Becomes Peterborough’s First Completely Smoke-Free Condo Complex and Local Landlords to Champion No-Smoking Policies

Local residents are breathing easier thanks to exciting developments by two local housing organizations to create more smoke-free environments.

Firstly, Auburn Village Gardens, a 52-unit condominium complex in the City of Peterborough, just set a new milestone by voting to make its building and grounds 100% smoke-free.  Working through legal channels, the condominium corporation enacted its new bylaw which was initiated due to complaints from residents about secondhand smoke.

“This is the first condominium in our area to go through the complete legal process and become smoke-free in its building and on its grounds,” said Ingrid Cathcart, Tobacco Officer with Peterborough Public Health.  “It was almost unanimous, with the majority of owners fully supportive.  To date there are only a few ‘official’ smoke-free condominiums that we are aware of in Canada.”

Effective January 2, 2014, the smoking ban prohibits tenants, guests and service people from smoking in any area of the property whether enclosed or outdoors.  There will be a six-month grace period for those few condominiums where smokers reside.

Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health, commended the residents of Auburn Village Gardens for their leadership on this important step towards a smoke-free Peterborough.  “Policies like this not only protect current and future residents but serve to denormalize smoking as an addiction society must stop enabling.  I applaud the owners for setting this precedent for all housing complexes that smoke-free policies are possible and fully legal.”

Secondly, members of the Peterborough and District Landlords’ Association voted and passed a “Resolution” to address smoking and resolved to champion no-smoking policies in their buildings.  These landlords acknowledged that secondhand smoke is a health hazard with known harmful effects that affect the well-being of all. In addition, smoke-free buildings have a completive advantage over buildings that permit smoking.

An Ipsos Reid Survey conducted in 2010 of Ontario residents living in multi-unit dwellings confirmed that:

• two in three report a preference for living in a smoke-free environment;
• two in three report strong support for more condos having smoke-free bylaws;
• nine in 10 do not allow smoking inside their homes;
• 50 percent report exposure to second-hand smoke; and
• 59 percent see second-hand smoke as a health hazard and 49 percent see it as a nuisance.

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For further information, please contact:

Ingrid Cathcart,
Tobacco Enforcement Officer,
Peterborough Public Health
(705) 743-1000, ext. 245

Bill Cuthill
Auburn Village Gardens
(705) 745-3386

Patricia Sweeting
Peterborough and District Landlords’ Association
(705) 745-4282 or (705) 760-6666