ADPH

December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month. Alabamians are now being cautioned about potential risks associated with toys. Most toy-related deaths have been linked to choking on small balls or crayons, drownings associated with flotation toys and entrapment inside toy chests.

Alabama women die each year from complications related to pregnancy, occurring during pregnancy and up to one year following a pregnancy or delivery, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). The agency is now taking new steps to help reduce the maternal mortality in the state.

Family and friend get-togethers, massive meals, football, office parties, gift-giving and all things festive come with the holiday season, but dangers can still be present. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is offering the following tips and resources for the safest, happiest and healthiest holiday season possible.

Alabama health officials report that quitting smoking is one of the most important steps smokers can take to improve their health. The Alabama Department of Public Health is encouraging participation in the annual Great American Smokeout for smokers and tobacco users to make November 21 their quit day.

New findings show Alabama’s infant mortality rate has climbed from recent years due to poverty, educational levels and medical access. The Alabama Department of Public Health continues to offer programs that focus on the reduction of the rate.

The deadline to send Alabama officials your best selfie is coming up. Kids in the state are being asked to show off their best grins through the “Share Your Smile with Alabama” photo contest. The campaign is put on by the Alabama Department of Public Health with entries accepted through Friday, Nov. 8.

The Alabama Department of Public Health continues its investigation of possible rabies exposure to humans from a stray kitten. A litter of kittens had been abandoned on the campus of Tuskegee University.

The devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is still being tallied as a swath of Florida comes to terms with damage from the unusual dual strike of storms in just two weeks. Alabama Department of Transportation workers have deployed to Florida to aid with cleanup and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Additionally, Alabama is sending a public health support team to North Carolina to assist in their Helene recovery.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, observed in Alabama and across the country, is an international health campaign that’s held every October. State healthcare experts stress that early detection saves lives. The Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program is helping by providing free cancer screening and diagnostic services.

The United States Department of Agriculture is distributing the oral rabies vaccine in parts of Alabama through Oct. 20. The action is a continuation of a decades-long program to reduce raccoon rabies and the associated public health risks from rabies exposures.