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Announcements
Come to this page to learn about upcoming private well water fairs, biomonitoring
opportunities, environmental health events and announcements.
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) which will be held October 21-27, 2018. NLPPW is an annual "call to action" aimed at bringing together families, individuals, community-based organizations, state, tribal, and local governments, and others, to increase lead poisoning prevention awareness and increase efforts to reduce childhood exposure to lead. The three themes this year are: Get The Facts, Get Your Home Tested, and Get Your Child Tested.
Source Water Protection Day in Lamy, New Mexico
The Lamy Mutual Domestic Water Association in partnership with the New Mexico Rural Water Association and various State agencies are hosting a Source Water Protection Day on October 27, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Historic Legal Tender, 151 Old Lamy Trail in Lamy, New Mexico. While there, you can learn about private wells, septic system s and drinking water quality. The New Mexico Private Wells Program will be there to provide you information about improving and maintaining good drinking water quality if you have a private well. Learn more about this event from NMRWA: martha@nmrwa.org.
National Drug Take Back Day
National Drug Take Back Initiative on October 27, 2018, 10 a.m.-2p.m. at 408 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM. Hosted by the Office of the Attorney General. For other locations see https://takebackday.dea.gov/.
For both health and environment protections reasons, it is important the pills or liquids do not get flushed, poured down drains, or thrown into lakes, ponds or rivers. Safely disposing of prescriptions and pills helps support the national effort to:
Free Tests of Lead in Water Offered to NM Schools in September: Schedule soon!
Time is running out for New Mexico schools to schedule this season's free drinking water lead test. Sign up soon for a September test. Details at https://www.env.nm.gov/drinking_water/lead-assistance.
Private Well Water Fairs
A partnership between the New Mexico Health Department's Environmental Public Health Tracking and Private Well Programs and the state Environment Department offers New Mexico households with private water wells the chance to conveniently test the water they drink for common water concerns plus arsenic at no cost.
When and Where: Find out on the NM EPHT Well Water Test Fairs page.
New Mexico's rain season typically starts in July and lasts through August. While the monsoons bring much needed moisture and water, it often means there could be flooding. Prepare for monsoons and flooding, especially in areas of recent burn scars, areas near bodies of water, arroyos, acequias and ditches. If your home has a private well, be sure the well head is protected before floods and be sure to test your drinking water quality after floods if your well head was submerged or damaged during a flood. Learn more: Floods. Private Wells.
Private wells owners in New Mexico have the chance to get their drinking water tested
for free! The 2018 Private Well Water Testing series begins in March. We had an excellent
turnout in 2017 from New Mexicans who took advantage of the free public health opportunity.
Let's top that in 2018! See the schedule and learn more about the program
here.
Biomonitoring results packets have been sent to participants of the
2015 and 2016 projects. We thank all the participants for taking part in
this biomonitoring assessment.
Check here often to learn about biomonitoring opportunities that may be happening in your community soon.
What is biomonitoring? Find out here.
Check here often to learn about biomonitoring opportunities that may be happening in your community soon.
What is biomonitoring? Find out here.
Don't forget to wash your hands after handling holiday decorations and before enjoying holiday cookies, popcorn, and handheld tamales. In addition to removing germs and viruses from the hands, did you know handwashing also removes other things found in the environment such as lead, metals and chemicals? This is another reason why it always important to wash your hands before eating--- including when eating snacks. Learn more about environmental exposures: https://nmtracking.org/environment/ExposureA-Z.html.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a chronic lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. The disease is increasingly common, affecting millions of Americans. During National COPD Awareness Month, learn about COPD in New Mexico: https://nmtracking.org/health/breathing/COPD.html.
During National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, learn about lung cancer in New Mexico and learn about reducing your exposure to radon.
Lung Cancer: https://nmtracking.org/health/cancer/Lung.html.
Radon: https://nmtracking.org/environment/Radon.html.
Lung Cancer: https://nmtracking.org/health/cancer/Lung.html.
Radon: https://nmtracking.org/environment/Radon.html.
During National Health Skin month learn about melanoma of the skin and incidence rates in New Mexico: https://nmtracking.org/health/cancer/SkinMelanoma.html.
During National Bladder Health Month, learn about bladder cancer incidence in New Mexico: https://nmtracking.org/health/cancer/Bladder.html.
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) which will be held October 21-27, 2018. NLPPW is an annual "call to action" aimed at bringing together families, individuals, community-based organizations, state, tribal, and local governments, and others, to increase lead poisoning prevention awareness and increase efforts to reduce childhood exposure to lead. The three themes this year are: Get The Facts, Get Your Home Tested, and Get Your Child Tested.
- Get the Facts: Find out about the hazards of lead from lead here: https://nmtracking.org/health/poisonings/ChildhoodLeadPoisoning.html.
- Get Your Home Tested: Find out how to minimize risks of lead exposure by hiring a certified professional to test older homes for lead
- Get Your Child Tested: A simple blood test can detect lead. Consult your health care provider for advice on testing your children.
National Health Education Week in October focused on increasing national awareness on major public health issues and promoting a better understanding of the role of health education. Among the many resources NM EPHT offers professionals in the field of health education and health promotion, we encourage you to try out some of the latest tools:
Health Impact Assessment Toolkit: https://nmtracking.org/health/living/HealthImpactAssessmentToolkit.html.
Community Health Profiles for New Mexico: https://nmtracking.org/community/Introduction.html.
Health Impact Assessment Toolkit: https://nmtracking.org/health/living/HealthImpactAssessmentToolkit.html.
Community Health Profiles for New Mexico: https://nmtracking.org/community/Introduction.html.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can learn about breast cancer in New Mexico and explore the data available for breast cancer here: https://nmtracking.org/health/cancer/FemaleBreast.html.
If you use a private well as a source for your family's (children) drinking water source, don't forget to mention this to your hygienist. Your dentist might need to know the concentrations of fluoride in your drinking water. Learn more: https://nmtracking.org/environment/Fluoride.html.
https://nmtracking.org/water 
National Protect Your Groundwater Day is September 4. Learn about drinking water in New Mexico and the relationship it has with groundwater at https://nmtracking.org/water.
National Protect Your Groundwater Day is September 4. Learn about drinking water in New Mexico and the relationship it has with groundwater at https://nmtracking.org/water.
Join us in celebrating National Public Health Week April 2-8, 2018 and throughout April become part of a growing movement to create the healthiest nation in one generation. April 4 is Environmental Health Day. Did you know that NM EPHT provides resources for public health professionals and anyone interested in learning about environmental health topics? Our selection includes:
- Community Environmental Health Profiles - great for community health assessments for counties
- Indicator Reports - snapshot of over 60 environmental health issues
- Searchable Datasets - you can query over 160 datasets and create charts and maps
- Practical Health Tips - great for the public to learn about health outcomes associated with environmental exposures
- Environmental Information - great for the public to learn about environmental exposures
Wildland fire season is arriving so New Mexicans need to know what to do when it gets smoky outside. Use the information and resources from
the 5-3-1 Smoke and Health campaign, designed and created by
New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (NM EPHT) in partnership with the state's forest
and air quality programs). See our social media messaging (https://twitter.com/nmdoh and https://www.facebook.com/nmdoh), throughout the spring to get tips on what you should when it is smoky outside and see the
proclamation
by Governor Susana Martinez. The campaign offers resources for community level leaders and community health professionals including the
Communications and Safety Decision Making Toolkit and data about outdoor air quality and wildland fires.
World Health Day is in April, a good time to remember to include Environmental Health in your public health work. Would you like to include
environmental health in your New Mexico community public health projects? A good starting place is the Community Environmental Health Profiles page. We offer a profile for each New Mexico County.
April 22, 2018 is Earth Day. The theme focuses on reducing plastic pollution. Vulnerable to plastic pollution are surface waters where drinking water often comes
from. Do your part to protect surface water and learn about drinking water quality here.
Air Quality Awareness Week 2018 is April 30 - May 4, 2018. The theme, Air Quality Where You Are, ties in with the information NM EPHT provides to you so you may learn about Air Quality and Health Effects. Check out these pages:
Indicator Reports on Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and Ozone Level
Indoor Air Quality
Radon
Carbon Monoxide
Outdoor Air Quality Health Information and Data
Fire and Smoke
COPD
Asthma
Allergies
Indicator Reports on Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and Ozone Level
Indoor Air Quality
Radon
Carbon Monoxide
Outdoor Air Quality Health Information and Data
Fire and Smoke
COPD
Asthma
Allergies
May is National Asthma Awareness month. You can learn more about asthma in New Mexico
here, Learn what the data shows for prevalence, emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Keep an eye for messages from us and our partner, New Mexico Asthma Prevention and Control Program on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
May is National Allergy Awareness Month. Do you know which pollens cause your allergy symptoms? What time of year do you get symptoms? Visit our
allergy information page to learn about the connection between pollination seasons and allergy symptoms.
May is National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness and Ultraviolet Awareness Month. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. UV radiation can also come from tanning booths or sunlamps. The most dangerous kind of skin cancer is called melanoma. Learn about Melanoma and See the Incidence Rates in New Mexico.
North American summers are hot. Sometimes spring and fall temperatures reach dangerous levels as well. Most summers see heat waves in one or more parts of the United States. The National Weather Service leads Heat Safety Awareness Day on May 25, 2018 to encourage Americans to prepare for the hot days ahead. During extreme heat and heat waves New Mexicans can be at risk for heat stress. Heat stress is heat-related illness which can have many symptoms. This includes adverse health conditions such as heat exhaustion which can lead to heat stroke. Learn about Heat Stress, get practical tips plus see NM EPHT's report, New Mexico Heat Stress Surveillance, 2008-2010. Take a look at the NM EPHT Indicator Reports for Heat Stress Emergency Department Visits and Heat Stress Hospitalizations to learn how extreme heat impacts health outcomes in New Mexico.
Source Water Protection Day in Lamy, New Mexico
The Lamy Mutual Domestic Water Association in partnership with the New Mexico Rural Water Association and various State agencies are hosting a Source Water Protection Day on October 27, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Historic Legal Tender, 151 Old Lamy Trail in Lamy, New Mexico. While there, you can learn about private wells, septic system s and drinking water quality. The New Mexico Private Wells Program will be there to provide you information about improving and maintaining good drinking water quality if you have a private well. Learn more about this event from NMRWA: martha@nmrwa.org.
National Drug Take Back Day
National Drug Take Back Initiative on October 27, 2018, 10 a.m.-2p.m. at 408 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM. Hosted by the Office of the Attorney General. For other locations see https://takebackday.dea.gov/.
For both health and environment protections reasons, it is important the pills or liquids do not get flushed, poured down drains, or thrown into lakes, ponds or rivers. Safely disposing of prescriptions and pills helps support the national effort to:
- Removes medicines from homes so they will not be abused or stolen.
- Helps protect water sources including the groundwater and surface water we use for drinking.
Free Tests of Lead in Water Offered to NM Schools in September: Schedule soon!
Time is running out for New Mexico schools to schedule this season's free drinking water lead test. Sign up soon for a September test. Details at https://www.env.nm.gov/drinking_water/lead-assistance.
Private Well Water Fairs
A partnership between the New Mexico Health Department's Environmental Public Health Tracking and Private Well Programs and the state Environment Department offers New Mexico households with private water wells the chance to conveniently test the water they drink for common water concerns plus arsenic at no cost.
When and Where: Find out on the NM EPHT Well Water Test Fairs page.
