Breathe easy: How colleges and universities are tackling tobacco use and secondhand smoke

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Do you know what the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death is, in the United States? Each year in the United States, cigarette smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths, including approximately 41,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmoking adults. And, that isn’t even counting the 16 million Americans living with a disease […]

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New data, new insight about the health of our region

.Reading time 5 minutes.

A new report by a collaborative of 11 hospitals and health systems, in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County, provides insight into some of the most relevant health issues impacting our local communities.

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The Hepatitis C Test & Cure Project

.Reading time 4 minutes.

In the U.S., hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes approximately 20,000 or more deaths a year and the rate of new HCV infections is increasing, fueled largely by the nation’s opioid epidemic.  Since 2012, deaths from HCV have exceeded those from all other nationally reportable conditions combined, including HIV and tuberculosis.  For these reasons, the U.S. […]

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What would a pandemic look like now? Part Four of “Pandemic in Seattle”

.Reading time 2 minutes.

It’s been a hundred years since the 1918 influenza pandemic. The possibility of a severe influenza pandemic remains, but what would it look like now? We present the conclusion of a 4-part comic strip commemorating the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic.  Read in Spanish Read the full “Pandemic in Seattle” series: Story by Meredith […]

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Adorable animals: Shameless pandering for emergency preparedness

.Reading time 3 minutes.

We know you aren’t as prepared for an emergency as you could be. Don’t feel badly–it’s true for everyone, and even though we are the health department, we’re not going to wag our finger. But we aren’t above wagging some tails. We’re here to remind you to take those next steps to be a little […]

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Why Public Health sees a community threat in proposal about immigration

.Reading time 6 minutes.
Public Health Director Patty Hayes with other community leaders at a news conference held at International Community Health Services in Seattle on Sept. 25, 2018

The new proposal to amend the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “public charge” test is a threat to the public’s health. “This is inhumane, and it would undermine efforts to improve the overall health of King County—and impact generations to come,” said Patty Hayes, director of Public Health—Seattle & King County, in a news release […]

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