|
MCHHS Facebook | MCHHS Instagram | Prevention YouTube
 Welcome to the Health Promotion & Prevention Newsletter, released every two months by Marion County's Health Promotion & Prevention Team! In this newsletter, our team shares information, tips, news, and updates on community work being done to promote health and prevent disease in Marion County.
Help us spread awareness by sharing this newsletter with your friends and colleagues!
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The American Lung Association is uniting people across the country through LUNG FORCE, to stand together against lung cancer. For more information on how you can participate in lung cancer awareness month visit the American Lung Association by clicking the link below:
|
The Great American Smoke Out is November 21, 2024
 The Great American Smoke Out is a yearly event on the third Thursday in November. It marks a day for current commercial tobacco users to begin their journey towards a smoke-free life. Smokers wanting to quit can be supported by the thousands of others across the country beginning their steps toward a healthier life and reducing their risk of chronic disease. It is never too late to stop tobacco use, no matter your age, health, or how long you have been using tobacco.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of death, disability, and disease. Quitting tobacco can be the best thing for the health of you and your loved ones. If you or anyone you know is interested in participating in The Great American Smoke Out, the American Cancer Society has resources and support to help you quit. Start day one on your journey to a tobacco-free life on November 21, 2024.
Quitting tobacco is a difficult process, but there are resources and support available to help you!
December is Impaired Driving Prevention Month
December is a time for celebrating the holidays with friends and family, but it's also one of the deadliest months for impaired driving. Make safety a priority this season by encouraging loved ones to drive responsibly. Here are some helpful tips and information from SAMHSA.
|
Gift Responsibly this Holiday Season
Did you know that teens who gamble are more likely to develop a problem with gambling later in life than teens who do not? This holiday season, give your youth a gift from the heart! For more information visit: gambling.MCHealthy.net
Charity Donation Sites for 2024 Holidays
Looking for a way to give back this holiday season? Organizations throughout Marion County are accepting donations. Following is a list of events and agencies, along with clickable the links for more information.
Help Your Neighbors this Thanksgiving!
Donate to the Marion Polk Food Share
1660 Salem Industrial Drive, NE Salem OR 97301
Lobby Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
For more information on how you can help visit: https://marionpolkfoodshare.org/
Salem Police Toy Drive
What to donate: Toys (new, unwrapped)
When: Through December 13th
Donations can be dropped off at the Salem Police Station at: 333 Division ST NE between the hours of 7am-7pm.
Keizer Toy Swap
What to donate: Gently used, clean toys, games and gadgets.
When: Between November 1st-December 4th
Collection Sites:
Keizer City Hall- 930 Chemawa Rd. NE Keizer
Salem Public Library- 585 Liberty Street SE Salem
Toys Swap Main Event: December 8th 10am-noon at Keizer City Hall
Trainings
Freedom from Smoking
If you're considering quitting smoking, you have already taken the first step. Now it's time to take the next step by enrolling in a quit smoking program. The Community Health Education Center (CHEC) offers classes every Monday.
Fee: $25
Where: Community Health Education Center- Building D, Classroom 1.
939 Oak Street Southeast Salem, OR 97302
To reserve your spot: Community Health Education Center- Freedom from Smoking
|
Following is a list of additional health promotion trainings and education opportunities.
Know of another organization that provides great trainings? We'd love to share them with our network. Let us know at MCHDPrevention@co.marion.or.us.
By Michael Keuler, Environmental Health Resiliency Coordinator
Leaves are falling and the days are getting shorter. Are you prepared for cold weather and winter storms? Cold weather can cause cold-related illness, and winter storms can make that worse through power failures, loss of communication services, and icy roads. To keep yourself and your loved ones safe, you should know how to prepare your home and your car before a winter storm hits.
|
Prepare your home.
-
Be 2 Weeks Ready: Have a two-week emergency preparedness kit in your home before a storm warning.
- Weatherproof your home: Insulate doors and windows. If windows are old, consider an insulating plastic over windows. Find incentives at energytrust.org.
- Install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector.
- Never use outdoor grills indoors – they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Bring pets indoors and house livestock in dry and insulated spaces.
|
Prepare your car.
-
Create an emergency car kit.
- Drive carefully when the temperature drops below 32°F.
- Get your vehicle tuned-up before winter.
- Make sure your tires have adequate tread and air pressure.
|
Stay informed.
- Never go without being alerted directly: Sign up for Marion-Polk Alerts.
- Make sure infants and older adults stay safe. Check-in with your older family members and neighbors during cold weather days.
- Listen/review weather forecasts regularly. Before a Winter Storm Watch is announced (winter storm conditions possible within the next 36-48 hours), be prepared for poor weather.
|
Find needed resources.
|
By Michael Keuler, Environmental Health Resiliency Coordinator
Is your city, school, or organization interested in improving community health through environmental projects? Two grant opportunities are available that may interest you!
-
Community Green Infrastructure Grant: Open! Closes December 2, 2024 at 5pm. The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) has $5,000 - $500,000 grants available. Projects can fund community green infrastructure projects, community green infrastructure economic development projects, native seed banks or nurseries, and green infrastructure master plans. Eligible organizations include public schools and colleges, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, non-profit manufactured home parks, federally recognized tribes, and watershed councils. Click here for more information!
-
Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grant: Open! Various grants available until 2026. Philanthropy NW and the EPA have grant funding available to improve local environmental and/or public health issues for historically underinvested communities. Funding includes $150,000 for Assessment Projects, $250,000 for Planning Projects, $350,000 for Project Development and Implementation, and a $75,000 non-competitive award for severely capacity-constrained community-based organizations. Eligible organizations include non-profits, community based organizations, tribal governments, local governments, and institutes of higher education. Click here for more information!
If your organization plans to apply for any of these opportunities, please notify Michael Keuler at mkeuler@co.marion.or.us! We may be able to provide a letter of support.
Meet Marie, the new Youth Health Education Coordinator for our TPEP and ADPEPE programs. Marie is joining our prevention team after many years in social work, where she predominantly worked with the Hispanic Community. Marie spent her childhood years in Texas, but has been in Oregon since high school. Marie’s first language is Spanish, but she is fluent in both English and Spanish. She graduated from Jefferson High School in Jefferson, Oregon and received her Bachelor's in Psychology from Western Oregon University. She is most excited to do work with youth from within the Hispanic community and be involved in projects to help reduce substance use and mental health risk factors. We're glad to have you, Marie! |
|
 |
 |
It's Real Classroom Presentations for Middle and High School
Marion County Mental Health Prevention Program has a new 45-minute training called, It’s Real: Teens and Mental Health. Created by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, this presentation is designed for middle and high school students, a crucial age for building mental health.
This new course covers what mental health is, methods of taking care of yourself, and tips for having a conversation with someone you are worried about, as well as how to get help to manage your mental health.
If you would like to schedule a presentation for your middle or high school classroom, send your request to: .
For other resources from our Marion County Health Promotion and Prevention team:
2024-2024 School Resource Guide- Marion County Health Promotion
|
 |
|
Check out these resources from the National Institute on Drug Abuse! There are free lessons on youth substance use and overdose prevention. There is also information on National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), coming up March 17-23, 2025. If you plan to participate in NDAFW, we would love to partner or help promote your event. Let us know with an email to .
|
|
By Heidi Johnson, Gambling Harm Prevention Coordinator
We are excited to highlight Bridgeway Community Health and their new clinic opening soon in Stayton, Oregon! Thank you, Eli Kinsley at Bridgeway for answering our questions, and for your continued partnership.
What is Bridgeway Community Health?
Bridgeway is a nationally accredited, integrated behavioral health care agency who offers a continuum of care model. This means we can support individuals who may need higher level of treatment services, such as medically managed withdrawal (detox), to residential services, and then to outpatient care. Because we are an integrated agency, we offer primary care, medication management services, mental health, SUD, and co-occurring services.
Bridgeway is adding a new location!
Bridgeway is committed to healthy equity. Within this commitment means creating access to care to all those in need. We see a need for our rural communities in Marion County and this new clinic is a demonstration of that commitment. We look forward to working with local community partners and healthcare providers to best support our community.
Bridgeway is excited to announce that we will be able to serve more people with the opening of our new clinic in Stayton (613 First St, Street, Stayton, Oregon 97383).
What services will be offered at the Stayton Clinic and who will it serve?
|
At the new Stayton clinic, we will be offering outpatient substance use and problem gambling services which will include individual and group therapy. The clinic will serve anyone who has Medicaid, Oregon Health Plan, and/or Pacific Source.
When will the Stayton clinic open?
We will be opening by the beginning of the new year - 2025. There will be an open house where all are invited, especially local community partners. The date for the open house is not set. For more information on the open house and Bridgeway Community Health visit:
https://bridgewayrecovery.com/
|
In honor of pets being health heroes, the Prevention Team at Marion County Health and Human Services is highlighting their amazing pets.
This newsletter we are welcoming Sally Cook's cat, Pearl Borealis Cook.
Pearl was just a kitten when she was found in a gopher trap by her first owners. Unfortunately, Pearl was too curious and lost her hind leg in the trap. Luckily, Pearl was pried free, nursed back to health, and kept as a beloved pet. When Pearl's owner entered hospice care in 2022, she was welcomed into our family.
She is curious and playful, jumping up on the chair or bed when you sit down wanting to sit with you. She is an indoor cat and sits by me each morning as I journal, looking resplendent on the floor, stretching and reminding me to enjoy the day. She enjoys chasing feathers, eating treats, watching birds and squirrels outside, and running up and down the steps. Pearl oversees the house when everyone leaves for work and makes sure to have adventures. She tells us all about them when we get home.
By Conor Foley, Tobacco Prevention & Education Program Coordinator
Applications have just opened for the Quit & Thrive Challenge: Community-Derived Solutions to Reduce Menthol Cigarette Smoking. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention and CDC, the purpose of the challenge is to highlight promising community-led solutions to address menthol cigarette smoking.
The application window is November 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025, so there is plenty of time to get your application submitted. Check out the application here!
Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to:
- State and local tobacco control agencies
- Other state or local governmental agencies
- School systems
- Health clinics or hospitals
- Patient or consumer advocacy groups
- Community-based organizations
- Faith-based organizations
Eligible organizations may choose to partner with other groups, but the lead organization submitting to the challenge must meet the criteria stated in the application.
By Conor Foley, Tobacco Prevention & Education Program Coordinator
You may have seen news headlines recently about the latest nicotine product from big tobacco -- nicotine pouches. While there have been many sensational stories about these new products, the deceptive marketing tactics of big tobacco have made it difficult to get clear information on the risks associated with their use.
Here is a quick overview of what we know about nicotine pouches:
- What are they?
- Nicotine pouches are small, easily concealable pouches containing synthetic nicotine that are placed between the lip and gum, often under the upper lip. Similar to snus, but different in that snus contains shredded tobacco leaf and nicotine pouches contain synthetic nicotine.
- Who makes them?
- Zyn, the most popular brand of nicotine pouches, is owned by Big Tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI), which manufactures Marlboro.
- How popular are they?
- “Since these products have entered the market, sales have increased 300-fold” (Truth Initiative, 2024)
- 385 million cans of Zyn sold in 2023
- What risks do they pose?
- Flavored products appeal to youth.
- Nicotine use in adolescence can disrupt formation of brain circuits that control attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction.
- Nicotine use can intensify symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- Nicotine affects fetal brain development and increases risk of stillbirths and preterm pregnancies.
- Nicotine use can lead to hypertension, diabetes, obesity, neurobehavioral defects, infertility, and respiratory failure.
More information on nicotine pouches
|
|
Marion County Health Promotion & Prevention will highlight various programs and health topics in our upcoming newsletter to keep you informed about important health promotion issues. Our next newsletter will be released in the first week of January 2025. If there is a subject you would like us to cover, please let us know by emailed us at the address below.
|
