Princess Health and Kids Count report finds Ky. remains in the bottom 1/3 of states for children's well-being; is this a predictor of the state's future?. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Kids Count report finds Ky. remains in the bottom 1/3 of states for children's well-being; is this a predictor of the state's future?. Princessiccia

children children's health economy education poverty pregnancy research teens wellness youth

Gusty 21:01 Add Comment

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

If Kentucky's future lies in the well-being of its children, there's reason to worry, because a recent report shows that Kentucky consistently remains in the bottom one-third of states for this measure.

The 2016 Kids Count report ranks Kentucky 35th in the overall well-being of its children, down from 34th last year. The state showed a significant improvement in its health ranking and a further drop in its teen birth rate, but otherwise didn't show much change from last year's report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates.

"The real issue is not a drop or increase of one position, but rather that Kentucky continues to be in the bottom one-third of all states," KYA Executive Director Terry Brooks said in a news release. "Are we really content with the idea that two-thirds of America's children are better off than Kentucky kids?"

The annual report offers a state-by-state assessment that measures 16 indicators to determine the overall well-being of children. The latest data are for 2014, and is compared with data from the last six or so years earlier. The report focuses on four major domains: economic security, education, health and family and community security.

Kentucky continues to rank highest in health, climbing to 16th from 24th in 2015, 28th in 2014 and 31st in 2013. Contributors included a continued drop in the number of children without health insurance (4 percent); a 15 percent decrease in child and teen mortality, fewer teens abusing alcohol or drugs (4 percent) and improvements in the percentage of low-birthweight babies (8.8 percent).

The state's greatest drop among the rankings was in economic security, going down to 37th from 32nd last year. Education (27th) saw a slight improvement from the past two years and the family and community (38th) rankings remained similar to the past three years.

The release notes that the state now ranks 10th for the percentage of children with health insurance.

"We are seeing better outcomes for kids in Kentucky, and expanded health coverage and access to quality care play a vital role in making that happen," Susan Zepeda, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said in the release. "Research shows that when parents have health coverage, their children are more likely to also be signed up for health insurance."

Another bright spot in the report is that the state's teen birth rate continues to drop. It declined 34 percent from 2008 to 2014. While Kentucky still has one of the nation's highest teen birth rates, it dropped to 35 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 in 2014, down from 39 per 1,000 in 2013 and 53 per 1,000 in 2008. The national average is 24 per 1,000, an all-time low.

Kentucky consistently ranks lowest in the "family and community" domain, with 35 percent of its children living in single-parent families; 12 percent living in families where the household head lacks a high school degree; and 16 percent living in high-poverty areas, which are neighborhoods where more than 30 percent of residents live in poverty.

"Kentucky will thrive when policies that support the whole family, caregiver and child, are implemented," Adrienne Bush, executive director of Hazard Perry County Community Ministries, said in the release.

And though the state's education ranking improved to 27th from 30th, not much has changed in these indicators since the foundation started doing this report. The bottom line is that more than half of fourth graders (60 percent) still can't read at a national proficiency level and that the majority of eighth graders (72 percent) still aren't proficient in math. (In 2007, these indicators were 67 percent and 73 percent respectively.)

"Student performance should alarm parents and business leaders and jolt Kentucky leaders into making fundamental education reform a policy priority to ensure college and career readiness," Brooks said.

In addition, more than half the state's three-and four-year-olds (58 percent) don't attend pre-school and 17 percent of its high school students don't graduate on time.

Perhaps the direst message from the report is about the state's economic well-being. One in four Kentucky children live in poverty (26 percent), a rate that has remained higher than it was pre-recession when it was 23 percent, says the release. Nationally, the child poverty rate is 22 percent.

"Growing up in poverty is one of the greatest threats to healthy child development," says the report. "Poverty can impede cognitive development and a child's ability to learn."

The report also says 35 percent of Kentucky's children live in homes with parents who don't have secure employment, which places the state in the bottom 10 states for this indicator. It also found that 28 percent live in households with a high housing-cost burden.

The release suggested "bipartisan solutions" to improve the well-being of Kentucky's children, including expanding oral health coverage; supporting school-based health centers; education reform that includes public charter schools, expanded child care assistance and family-focused tax reforms.

Princess Health and Clinton County coalition works to change the health lifestyle of its children, in an effort to change the local health culture. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Clinton County coalition works to change the health lifestyle of its children, in an effort to change the local health culture. Princessiccia

child obesity children children's health exercise health rankings nutrition school lunch school nurses schools youth

Gusty 08:38 Add Comment

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

Public officials and local leaders in a small, rural county in Southern Kentucky that ranks near the bottom of in the County Health Rankings for the state have formed a coalition to improve the health of its community, with a focus on its children.

Clinton County (Wikipedia map)

Clinton County ranked 102nd out of 120 Kentucky counties in the 2016 County Health Rankings. �We recognize that. We saw that in our kids,� Lora Brewington, chief compliance officer of Cumberland Family Medical Center Inc., told Kentucky Educational Television in a report to be aired soon about the coalition.�And if we don�t change something now, we�re going to be going to the funeral home for kids a lot younger.�

So, with the help of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, they formed the Clinton County Healthy Hometown Coalition to implement a multi-faceted public health program for the community's citizens, that focuses on its children.

�The coalition came together [according to] Aristotle�s thinking, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,� Brewington told KET. �We have a lot of great groups, that do a lot of great things, but if everyone is going for the same goal, and the resources are not combined, you�re not going to accomplish anything. And once we get everybody together and on the same page, by combining resources, we�ve been able to do some great things.�

Paula Little, assistant superintendent and supervisor of instruction for Clinton County schools, told KET that the coalition recognized most of the county's health issues stemmed from obesity, and decided to focus their efforts on the children in the community to change their culture.

"So we feel like if we can start young and start with our children and teach them healthy habits and healthy lifestyles that when they grow up they won't be faced with obesity and all of those chronic diseases that go with it," Little said.

Many of the coalition�s activities are school-based. Teachers have incorporated physical activity into the school day as well as during their morning routines and after-school day-care programs.

The coalition has worked with the schools to improve nutrition. Fruits and vegetables are now served every day with every meal. The schools also began offering supper to students during the school year and has since served over 6,400 meals. The program began last October.

Recognizing that an estimated 38 percent of Clinton County's children live in low-income families, the coalition launched a summer food program that delivers breakfast and lunch in a retrofitted school bus called the Bus Stop Caf� to areas in the county with high student populations.

The Healthy Hometown Coalition has also implemented school-based health clinics, which provides for the healthcare needs of students through a public-private partnership while they are at school. The clinics are run by the Cumberland Family Medical Center. In addition to providing clinical care, the clinics provide body mass index assessments and provide nutrition and obesity counseling.

�It�s about accessibility,� Brewington said. �It�s about the kid who has a cough and needs to see a doctor, but the parent can�t take off from work. ...It's about having healthcare right there where the child is the majority of the time."

Not mentioned in the KET report is that Clinton County schools implemented a comprehensive smoke-free policy last year that will go into effect in July. The policy will ban smoking on school property both during school hours and during school sponsored events, and also includes electronic cigarettes and all vapor products.

The coalition is working to change the culture of its community so that a healthy lifestyle becomes the norm, and not the exception.

�When you�re attempting to change a culture, and change the way people live, that�s a very long process,� Little said. �And it has to be something that�s consistent, that�s ongoing, and it has to be a message that children hear everywhere they go in the community.�

A full-time coordinator, April Speck, manages the various coalition programs and writes a weekly health column in the Clinton County News that often celebrates individual success stories. The coalition also sponsors community events, and has built a new playground.

�What makes me feel good about it is that I know there�s a real need here,� Speck told KET. �There�s a lot of kids who have childhood obesity... And just seeing them start to make changes in what they are doing, how much they are eating, their water intake, I know that we�re making an improvement.�

Princess Health and Clark County schools to provide mental health services via contract with agency that can bill Medicaid or private insurance. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Clark County schools to provide mental health services via contract with agency that can bill Medicaid or private insurance. Princessiccia

behavioral health children's health education Medicaid mental health schools teenagers teens youth

Gusty 06:22 Add Comment

Facing a surge in behavioral health cases among students, the Clark County Board of Education has contracted with a mental-health agency services for all preschool through high school students in the district.

Mountain Comprehensive Care will place a mental health therapist in every school to address issues immediately, at no cost to the district, Whitney Leggett reports for The Winchester Sun: "In the past three years, the district has seen the number of students in the home-hospital program because of mental-health issues surpass those with physical ailments."

Greg Hollon, director of pupil personnel and support services, told Leggett, �Previously, about 80 percent of home-hospital students were for physical ailments and 20 percent for mental. Fast forward a couple of years later, and that has switched to 65 percent mental, 35 percent physical.�

Hollon said the therapists at each school will help the district stay on top of problems. �This puts someone in the buildings full time to be there to address issues as they occur,� rather than requiring staff to call Mountain or some other agency.

Mountain, based in Prestonsburg, is able to provide the service without charge because it can bill Medicaid or private insurance.

Princess Health and Pediatricians' national group calls for at least one nurse in every school; Ky.'s schools have a long way to go to meet that goal. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Pediatricians' national group calls for at least one nurse in every school; Ky.'s schools have a long way to go to meet that goal. Princessiccia

children's health pediatrics school nurses state budget youth

Gusty 17:21 Add Comment

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky's high schools fall far short of new recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics that call for every school in the United States to have at least one nurse on site.

Only 42.2 percent of Kentucky's high schools have a full-time nurse, 37.4 percent have a part-time nurse and 20.4 percent do not have one at all, according to research led by Teena Darnell, assistant professor of nursing at Bellarmine University.

"School nurses improve school attendance and decrease the dropout rate which leads to better academic outcomes. . . . Most importantly, they help keep the nearly 680,000 children attending public school in Kentucky safe, healthy and ready to learn," Eva Stone and Mary Burch said in an e-mail to Kentucky Health News.

Stone, an advanced-practice registered nurse, is the director of student support services for Lincoln County Schools. Burch is the health coordinator for Erlanger-Elsmere Schools.

The pediatrics academy's policy statement, published in its journal Pediatrics, replaces a previous recommendation that districts have one nurse for every 750 healthy students, and one for every 225 students who need daily professional nursing assistance.

"The use of a ratio for workload determination in school nursing is inadequate to fill the increasingly complex health needs of students," says the policy statement.

School nurses today monitor more children with special needs, help with medical management in areas such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, life-threatening allergies, asthma and seizures and also provide immunizations, work on obesity prevention efforts and provide substance abuse assessments, among other things, says the statement.

As school nurses have been eliminated from school budgets, school-based health centers, which provide health care to students through a public-private partnership, have become popular. This model allows schools to bill private insurance or Medicaid for services to offset some of the costs.

Most recently, the Carter County Board of Education unanimously approved a one-year contract with Kings Daughters Medical Center of Ashland to provide its school health services, Joe Lewis reports for the Grayson Journal Times. The hospital will provide a nurse practitioner who will rotate throughout the district's schools.

That doesn't comply with the new guidelines to have one nurse in every school, but the program plans to use telemedicine to keep the nurse practitioner connected to the schools throughout the day.

"Unfortunately, Kentucky has no requirement to have a registered nurse in every school," Stone and Burch write. "Every school needs a nurse. What we see in the schools is a reflection of the health of the community. Kentucky is missing an incredible opportunity to not only keep children safe at school but also to implement a system of improving long term health in the commonwealth."

Princess Health and Bevin says he will transform programs for kids with special health needs constructively and in a 'forward-thinking way'. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Bevin says he will transform programs for kids with special health needs constructively and in a 'forward-thinking way'. Princessiccia

children Medicaid state government youth

Gusty 11:46 Add Comment

Gov. Matt Bevin told stakeholders for children and youth with special health-care needs May 25 that his administration  is �committed to transforming, in a positive, constructive, proactive and forward-thinking way, the services you provide. We truly are grateful for what you do day in and day out.�

A state press release said almost 100 doctors, public-health specialists, insurers, health-care providers, state and federal officials, family members and others attended the Kentucky Summit on Access to Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, cosponsored by the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

�There is an absolute need for us to take care of these children,� Bevin said. �We owe them that as a society, as Kentuckians, as human beings. It�s our obligation.�

CCSHCN Executive Director Jackie Richardson said Kentucky is estimated to have 197,916 children and youth with special health-care needs, a rate higher than the national average. Children and youth with special health care needs are defined as those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond what is generally required.

The summit in Frankfort was part of a learning collaborative sponsored by several national groups, including the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Leguislatures. �We wanted this summit to provide a national perspective on the access to care provided through the commission,� she said. �With the group discussions we had today, we identified strategies to improve access to care and increase awareness of our programs.�

The commission has clinics that help with conditions like otology, orthopedics, severe cleft lip and palate and cerebral palsy. The commission also has a growing neurology program and has introduced autism clinics to improve access to diagnostic and medical resources for families in Eastern and Western Kentucky. �Many of them will need a lifetime of special care, and summits like today's help ensure they will have consistent, coordinated and comprehensive access for as long as they need it,� Richardson said. For more information about the commission's programs and services, see chfs.ky.gov/ccshcn.

Princess Health and McDonald's stops sending to schools man who says he lost much weight eating only at McDonald's, including Big Macs and fries. Princessiccia

Princess Health and McDonald's stops sending to schools man who says he lost much weight eating only at McDonald's, including Big Macs and fries. Princessiccia

child obesity children children's health diet education fast food nutrition restaurants schools youth

Gusty 18:49 Add Comment

Photo via flickriver.com

McDonald�s has stopped "giving nutrition advice to students in schools, pulling back on a program that critics said was a subtle form of fast-food marketing that could imperil kids� health and understanding of nutrition," Roberto Ferdman reports for The Washington Post.

The company had been sending to schools "a middle-aged teacher from Iowa who came to fame after claiming to have lost almost 60 pounds eating only McDonald�s," including Big Macs and french fries, Ferdman writes.

"McDonald�s said in a statement this week that Cisna stopped those visits last fall, after a Washington Post article highlighted how McDonald�s used its relationship with local schools and teachers� associations to get its message in front of students. . . . McDonald�s had long defended the practice, saying that Cisna�s presentation was about choice, not about eating McDonald�s. But critics argued it amounted to little more than a veiled attempt to woo customers at a young and impressionable age."

Princess Health and FDA to regulate e-cigs: ban sales to minors, require warning signs, require federal approval; did not address advertising issues. Princessiccia

Princess Health and FDA to regulate e-cigs: ban sales to minors, require warning signs, require federal approval; did not address advertising issues. Princessiccia

e-cigarettes federal regulation food and drug administration smoking ban teens tobacco tobacco prevention youth

Gusty 08:34 Add Comment

In a long-anticipated move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced May 5 that it is assuming regulatory authority over all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, cigars, hookah, tobacco and pipe tobacco that include banning sales to anyone under 18.

�Today�s announcement is an important step in the fight for a tobacco-free generation � it will help us catch up with changes in the marketplace, put into place rules that protect our kids and give adults information they need to make informed decisions," Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a news release.

FDA's new tobacco regulations will prohibit sales of e-cigarettes and all tobacco products to anyone under 18, both in person and online, and buyers must now show photo ID.

Health warnings will also be placed on packages and in advertisements, saying, �WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.� It also bans free samples and the sale of covered products in vending machines not located in adult-only facilities.

The regulation also requires manufacturers of all newly-regulated products introduced to the market after Feb. 15, 2007, a date that is set by the Tobacco Control Act of 2009, to require federal approval. An amendment to the legislation has been submitted to change the date so more e-cigarettes would be grandfathered in, Jayne O'Donnell and Laura Ungar report for USA Today.

The e-cigarette industry is pushing back on these regulations.

"Industry experts say treating e-cigarettes, which don't contain tobacco, the same as cigarettes could lead to such onerous and costly approval that all but the largest tobacco companies would be forced out of the market � and possibly those companies, too," USA Today writes. Jeff Stier, an e-cigarette advocate with the National Center for Public Policy Research and industry officials, told USA Today that it could cost $1 million or more per application.

Vapers also argue that e-cigs help people quit, but studies on that conflict.

Ellen Hahn, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and co-chair of the UK Tobacco-free Task Force, told USA Today that the new rule is a good first step toward controlling e-cigarettes, noting "vaping" can get youth addicted to nicotine and threatens to prolong "the tobacco epidemic."

"From a health perspective, to reduce the social acceptance of them is good because frankly, it's the wild, wild West out there," she told the newspaper. "Vape stores are everywhere."

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation commended the FDA for these regulations, noting the use among high school students has "rocketed from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2015, an increase of more than 900 percent." But it also said the regulation did not go far enough.

"Studies have proven that tobacco advertising directly influences youth, and that such sweet e-cigarette flavors as gummy bear and cotton candy play a role in children trying these products," Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, CEO of the RWJF, said in the statement "Today's final rule did not address these issues, and we strongly urge the FDA to take aggressive regulatory and enforcement actions to prevent and reduce youth tobacco use, in any form it takes."

The regulation goes into effect Aug. 8, and gives affected industries two years to comply. The original proposal was introduced in 2014.

Princess Health and Studies conclude that abstinence pledges do little to cut youth sexual activity, pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Studies conclude that abstinence pledges do little to cut youth sexual activity, pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases. Princessiccia

diseases education sex education sexually transmitted diseases youth

Gusty 13:17 Add Comment

Abstinence pledges�sometimes called purity pledges�don't keep young people from engaging in sex, contracting sexually transmitted diseases or avoiding pregnancy, according to a pair of studies, Denise-Marie Ordway reports for Journalist's Resource. The main problem is that students are not receiving enough sex education. A federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report from December 2015 found that "fewer than half of high schools and only a fifth of middle schools teach all 16 topics recommended by CDC as essential components of sexual health education."(CDC graphic)

A 2005 study by Yale and Columbia universities found that 88 percent of youth who take the abstinence pledge engage in pre-marital sex, Ordway writes. "The study found that pledgers were just as likely to get STDs as those who never made a pledge of virginity."

A more recent study, published in April in the Journal of Marriage and Family, found that among students in grades 7 to 12, "as a whole, young women who did not take abstinence pledges and those who did but broke them were equally likely to acquire HPV, a common STD," Ordway writes. "Approximately 27 percent of each group tested positive for HPV. Of the young women who had two or more sex partners, pledge breakers were more likely to have HPV. The difference was largest among women who had between six and 10 sex partners. One-third of women who had not taken a pledge and had six to 10 sex partners tested positive for HPV. Meanwhile, 51 percent of pledgers who had six to 10 sex partners acquired HPV. About 30 percent of pledgers and 18 percent of non-pledgers became pregnant within six years after they began having sexual intercourse outside of marriage."

"In the U.S, the teen pregnancy rate is higher than in any other western industrialized country, according to the CDC," Ordway writes. "At the same time, a growing number of American teens and young adults have been diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). While individuals aged 15 to 24 make up 27 percent of the U.S. population that is sexually active, the CDC estimates that they account for half of the 20 million new infections occurring annually."

Princess Health and FDA launches its first advertising campaign aimed at rural youth about the dangers of smokeless tobacco. Princessiccia

Princess Health and FDA launches its first advertising campaign aimed at rural youth about the dangers of smokeless tobacco. Princessiccia

children children's health smokeless tobacco tobacco tobacco prevention youth

Gusty 15:46 Add Comment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today launched a campaign on the dangers of smokeless tobacco among rural teens. FDA is expanding its �The Real Cost� campaign "to educate rural, white male teenagers about the negative health consequences associated with smokeless tobacco use," it says. "For the first time, messages on the dangers of smokeless tobacco use�including nicotine addiction, gum disease, tooth loss, and multiple kinds of cancer�are being highlighted through the placement of advertisements in 35 U.S. markets specifically selected to reach the campaign�s target audience."

FDA�s Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study found that 31.84 percent of rural, white males ages 12 to 17�629,000 total youths�either experiment with smokeless tobacco or are at-risk, says FDA. "According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, each day in the U.S. nearly 1,000 males under the age of 18 use smokeless tobacco for the first time�almost as many male teenagers who smoke their first cigarette�making early intervention critical and highlighting a need for targeted youth smokeless tobacco prevention."

The campaign will be conducted through advertisements on television, radio, print, public signs, billboards, the internet and social media, says FDA. The agency is also partnering with Minor League Baseball teams, with stadiums promoting tobacco-free lifestyles "by displaying campaign advertising and providing opportunities for fans to meet and interact with players who support the campaign�s public health messages." (Read more)

Here's a link to the campaign�s bites and B-roll package; the ads are also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgf1d4CujVYYl8IZmTz5hedERt3f19hED

Princess Health and CDC says state spends less than 8% of what it should on preventing use of tobacco; companies spend 13 times as much.Princessiccia

Princess Health and CDC says state spends less than 8% of what it should on preventing use of tobacco; companies spend 13 times as much.Princessiccia

advertising children's health federal government smoking smoking cessation state budget state budgets state governments tobacco tobacco prevention youth

Gusty 16:43 Add Comment

Kentucky spends only 7.6 percent of what it should spend on preventing the use of tobacco, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in its latest annual report on the subject.

The state spent $4.33 million on tobacco-control programs in 2011, the year covered by the report. The CDC said spending of $57.2 million was called for, since 29 percent of Kentuckians smoked that year. Tobacco-related illnesses are estimated to cost Kentuckians $3.3 billion a year.

South Carolina and Texas, which spent 6.5 percent and 7 percent of the recommended amounts, were also singled out for criticism by the CDC. Nationally, states spend less than 18 percent of what they should, $3.7 billion, in the agency's view. "Only Alaska and North Dakota funded programs at the CDC-recommended levels, $10.7 million and $9.3 million, respectively," Samantha Ehlinger of McClatchy Newspapers reports.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2015/06/25/3918046/cdc-says-kentucky-isnt-spending.html#storylink=cpy

"States that made larger investments in tobacco prevention and control have seen larger declines in cigarettes sales than the United States as a whole, and the prevalence of smoking has declined faster as spending for tobacco control programs has increased," the CDC report said. "Evidence suggests that funding tobacco prevention and control efforts at the levels recommended . . . could achieve larger and more rapid reductions in tobacco use and associated morbidity and mortality."

In contrast to the state spending of $658 million on tobacco control, tobacco companies spent more than 13 times as much on advertising and promotion in 2011: $8.8 billion, or $24 million per day, the report noted.

"During the same period, more than 3,200 youth younger than 18 years of age smoked their first cigarette and another 2,100 youth and young adults who are occasional smokers progressed to become daily smokers," the report said. "If current rates continue, 5.6 million Americans younger than 18 years of age who are alive today are projected to die prematurely from smoking-related disease. However, the tobacco-use epidemic can be markedly reduced by implementing interventions that are known to work."

For the CDC's latest comprehensive report on tobacco use in Kentucky, with data from 2012, click here. For county-by-county figures on adults smoking in Kentucky in 2011-13, click here.

Princess Health and Lake Cumberland District Health Department using polls in an effort to get school boards to make campuses tobacco-free.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Lake Cumberland District Health Department using polls in an effort to get school boards to make campuses tobacco-free.Princessiccia

education health departments polls schools smokeless tobacco smoking smoking ban smoking bans tobacco tobacco prevention youth

Gusty 17:48 Add Comment

Countywide smoking bans are unlikely to pass anytime soon in most of rural Kentucky, but more county school districts are making their campuses tobacco-free. Now a multi-county health department is trying to get rural school boards to do that, with public-opinion polls showing that county residents overwhelmingly favor the move.

Department logo has been altered to
show Clinton County in yellow.

The Lake Cumberland District Health Department conducted the poll in Clinton County, and said it found that 86.55 percent were in favor and 7.16 percent were opposed. The rest had no opinion.

Making a campus tobacco-free means that members of the public are not free to smoke at school athletic events, so the poll also asked, �Would you like to see our school become tobacco-free at all events?� The results were virtually the same: 85.3 percent answered yes and 8.7 percent answered no, even though one-fourth to one-fifth of the county's residents smoke and it has a long history of raising tobacco.

"The results are perhaps surprising to some, considering the rate of tobacco usage in the county," reports the Clinton County News. The poll of 749 residents has an error margin of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

The department also surveyed 100 teachers in the school system and found that 77 percent would "definitely" support making the schools 100 percent tobacco-free.

The health department presented the survey and other findings to the Clinton County Board of Education June 15, but the board took no action. The department noted that a recent survey found that 28 percent of the county's students in eighth through 12th grades had used smokeless tobacco in the previous 30 days. "That level was the highest in the Lake Cumberland District," the Clinton County News reports.

The Casey County Board of Education adopted a smoke-free policy after a poll by the health department showed 70 percent of the county's residents favored it, the Casey County News reported.

Princess Health and UK students in national program to educate kids about oral health .Princessiccia

Princess Health and UK students in national program to educate kids about oral health .Princessiccia

dental care dental health dental school University of Kentucky youth

Gusty 18:30 Add Comment

A University of Kentucky undergraduate dental group was recently spotlighted by the National Children's Oral Health Foundation for their passion to share oral-health education with elementary and middle schools in Kentucky, according to a UK news release.

UK Students United with America's ToothFairy was founded in 2014 and is made up of more than 100 UK undergraduates interested in dentistry, who are also part of the UK Pre-Dental Society.

The America�s ToothFairy� program is the branch of the National Children�s Oral Health Foundation that works to prevent childhood dental disease through community-based prevention, education and treatment services.

"At a young age, these children can lose and permanently damage their teeth," Nabeela Rahman, a first-year UK College of Dentistry student and former UKPDS president, said in the release. "Being able to help these children, even slightly, was a very rewarding experience for me."

Already this year, UK's SUAT chapter has held six community outreach events reaching more than 500 students, targeting schools in Lexington and some rural Kentucky areas. It is considered one of the largest and more active chapters in the nation, the release says.

At each event, SUAT members share oral health and nutrition information and demonstrate proper tooth brushing and flossing. They also share information about the effects of tobacco on oral health and send the students home with toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children and adolescents ages 6 to 19, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And a 2001 Kentucky oral health survey found that 29 percent of third- and sixth-grade students screened had untreated tooth decay and 75 percent had not seen a dentist in more than a year, according to the release.

Princess Health and Bourbon Co. teen named South's top youth anti-tobacco advocate for his efforts in pushing for county smoking ban.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Bourbon Co. teen named South's top youth anti-tobacco advocate for his efforts in pushing for county smoking ban.Princessiccia

awards e-cigarettes schools smoking smoking ban smoking bans smoking ordinances tobacco youth

Gusty 12:53 Add Comment

Tyler Boyle (Photo from
Lexington Herald-Leader)

Tyler Boyle, a Bourbon County High School senior and president of Students Making A Change in the Community, was named the South Region Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids for his efforts to push a smoking ban in Bourbon County, Lashana Harney reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Boyle has been a part of SMACC since it was re-established in 2013. The club is a place for youth voices to be heard on smoking issues, with the ultimate goal of a countywide smoking ban -- but in the meantime, working for a school regulation that would ban electronic cigarettes.

The smoking ban has yet to pass, but the schools have added e-cigarettes to their comprehensive tobacco policy, which banned tobacco products of any kind on school grounds.

Boyle told the Herald-Leader that he applied for the award in hopes of bringing more attention to the anti-tobacco cause in his county, which has a long history of tobacco production and sales.

"I applied for this award because of all of the work that I've done in my home community and state for tobacco control," he told Harney. "I thought that if I could make national attention, maybe, it would make the officials in my community take this issue more seriously."

Boyle said that he was honored to receive the award, which was presented at a gala in Washington, D.C., in mid-May. He plans to attend a symposium sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids in Washington in July and the Philip Morris Cos. international shareholder meeting next May.

Boyle told Harney that sometimes he gets frustrated because change is slow to take place, but the will to keep pushing forward always comes back.

"After attending the award gala, I was revitalized and I'm ready for the next step in tobacco control," he said.

Boyle will attend Vassar College in the fall to study political science with a focus on advocacy work and said he would continue his work with the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

"Tobacco advocacy is something near to my heart," Boyle said. "Vassar is actually going smoke free in July 2015. So, I plan to work hard to implement and support their new policy."

Princess Health andElementary-school students prompt Middlesboro smoking ban.Princessiccia

Princess Health andElementary-school students prompt Middlesboro smoking ban.Princessiccia

electronic cigarettes smoking smoking ban smoking bans smoking ordinances tobacco tobacco prevention youth

Gusty 08:21 Add Comment

UPDATE, May 20: The council passed the ban with one member opposing it. Gary Mills said, �I don�t think it�s the government�s right to intrude on businesses owned by individuals. If the public doesn�t like it, they won�t come. . . . This is too intrusive by the government.� Two non-smoking business owners expressed similar sentiments.

The Middlesboro City Council has approved on first reading an ordinance that would ban smoking in public, enclosed spaces. "It remains unclear if the ban would apply to the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products," William Tribell reports for the Middlesboro Daily News.

The ordinance was prompted in part by a March presentation and petition from a group of Middlesboro Elementary School students involved in Destination Imagination, "a volunteer-led, educational nonprofit organization whose purpose is to inspire and equip students to become the next generation of leaders," Tribell writes. "The team was awarded the DaVinci Award for Outstanding Creativity for their efforts and will now compete at the world competition May 20 in Knoxville."

The students drafted the ordinance after researching those in other cities, Tribell reports: "In their presentation to the city council, the team said that 33 percent of Bell County�s population smoke, and they discussed the health effects it has on the community at large."

"The council voted unanimously in favor of the ban ordinance, and it will go up for a second-reading vote at their meeting on May 19," Tribell reports.

Princess Health andSouthern Kentucky physician expands his in-school clinics; already in Russell County, will be in Adair County next year.Princessiccia

Princess Health andSouthern Kentucky physician expands his in-school clinics; already in Russell County, will be in Adair County next year.Princessiccia

children children's health health insurance school health school nurses schools youth

Gusty 07:03 Add Comment

Dr. Eric Loy
(Columbia Magazine photo)

An entrepreneurial physician in Southern Kentucky has developed a way to deliver school health services that could have a broader impact on communities.

Cumberland Family Medical, based in Burkesville, has clinics at the five schools in Russell County and now has a deal to do likewise with the four in adjoining Adair County.

Dr. Eric Loy, who owns the clinic, "said that the agreement could have an important impact on the community both short term, by helping create a healthier and more focused student body; and long term, by creating a culture where people get acclimated to seeing doctors and nurses for physicals and regular checkups on a consistent basis," Wes Feese reports for The Adair Progress.

�We have a chance to change the culture of health care in Kentucky,� Loy told the Adair County Board of Education, which voted to spend $80,000 next year on the clinics. That is "roughly the same cost the district currently pays for school nurses," Feese reports. "If the trial run next year is successful, both parties will have options to continue the agreement."

"Cumberland Family Medical will pay two-thirds of the nurse expense and will bill the insurance of the patient," Toni Humphress reports for the Adair County Community Voice.

School Supt. Alan Reed complimented the dedication and service of the county�s school nurses but said costs to employ them were �soaring,� Feese reports. Reed said of Loy's plan, �This is kind of a novel approach, and from all we�ve seen, we really like it. It cuts down on time and any barriers for a kid getting health care.�

Loy agreed, saying, �A lot of times that�s the barrier, that it�s hard [for parents] to miss work.�

School principals said sick students may have to sit in an office or lobby all day because working parents are unavailable to come pick the students up and take them to a doctor. "Director of Pupil Personnel Robbie Harmon said that this move could have a bigger long-term impact on the community than any project he�s worked on in his time in the school system."

Loy's in-school clinics are manned by a full-time nurse practitioner who travels between schools, and is overseen by a physician. "Loy said that all forms of insurance would be accepted, and that all children would be seen and treated, regardless of their ability to pay," Feese reports. "He also said that the clinics could help out with insurance enrollment."

Adair County had one of the state's highest percentages of people without health insurance until the federal-state Medicaid program was expanded under federal health reform. The uninsured rate has dropped dramatically, but some families are still without health coverage.

Princess Health andBurgin, in heart of Kentucky, is state's 40th school district to go tobacco-free; ban, won by students, applies to vapor products.Princessiccia

Princess Health andBurgin, in heart of Kentucky, is state's 40th school district to go tobacco-free; ban, won by students, applies to vapor products.Princessiccia

newspapers school health schools smoking smoking ban smoking bans tobacco tobacco prevention tobacco-free youth

Gusty 07:20 Add Comment

Burgin Independent Schools, in the heart of Kentucky, will be the latest 100 percent tobacco-free schools in the state, and the first in Mercer County, which has a strong tobacco heritage.

The Burgin Board of Education voted April 8 to ban all tobacco use, including vapor products, on school grounds and during school-related student trips, Robert Moore reports for The Harrodsburg Herald. The policy becomes effective July 1 and includes any building or vehicle owned or operated by the board and applies to any renters of school property.

Burgin will be the 40th Kentucky school district to become fully tobacco-free. Kentucky has 173 public- school districts, with 1,233 public schools, according to the state Department of Education.

The Kentucky 100 percent Tobacco-Free Schools website says, "Studies show that schools with 100 percent tobacco-free school policies for three years of more have 40 percent fewer smokers than those in non-tobacco free school districts." The 2013 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 18 percent of Kentucky youth smoke, and 47 percent of them have smoked at least once.

"I�m really proud we�re going to be a tobacco free campus," board member Priscilla Harris told the Herald after the meeting. "We want to set a good example." The independently owned weekly newspaper recently did a three-part series on tobacco in the county, including Burgin students' efforts to get tobacco banned.

Kentucky 100 percent Tobacco Free Schools map, with Burgin added

Princess Health and Princess Health andRussell Co. school board plans to make all campuses tobacco-free, renews free-lunch-for-all plan after breaking even.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andRussell Co. school board plans to make all campuses tobacco-free, renews free-lunch-for-all plan after breaking even.Princessiccia

children children's health nutrition school lunch schools smoking smoking ban smoking bans tobacco youth

Gusty 19:25 Add Comment

School districts in Kentucky often deal with health issues. The Russell County Board of Education dealt with two important ones, tobacco use and school lunch, in its meeting last week.

State officials are pushing to get schools to make their campuses tobacco-free as a way of discouraging smoking, since Kentucky has the highest percentage of smokers in the nation and ranks near the top in youth smoking.

The Russell County school board heard first reading of a policy that would ban use of tobacco products on all school campuses at any time, including events such as outdoor athletic contests. "Board Member Gerald Murray indicated that those who attended the meeting were for the complete ban, and wanted the public informed that if they had concerns, either for or against the ban, they need to attend the next board meeting to be heard," The Times Journal of Russell Springs reports. "The next reading and vote will be at a special called meeting on June 30."

June 30 was the original deadline for school districts to decide whether to participate in the federal program that makes free meals available to every student in school districts with certain levels of poverty and public assistance.

The board voted to stay in the program after Nutrition Director Susan Melton reported "the program has resulted in a 73 percent breakfast participation rate, an increase of 28 percent compared to 2012-2013 school year, and nearly double the state breakfast participation rate of 39 percent," the Times Journal reports. "The lunch participation rate was 90 percent over the last school year, up eight percent from 2012-2013."

The newspaper notes that the district has to pay only 6 percent of the cost, compared to 20 percent in the normal program, which charges some students regular or reduced prices for meals based on their family income. Some school districts have not joined the program, saying they might lose money on it, and Russell County feared likewise, but Melton said it "has been essentially 'break even' for the county" and has benefits; research has shown that hungry children are less able to learn.

�We went into this last year understanding we may lose $12,000 to $15,000,� Board Member Steve Kerr said. �But we all agreed that if we did lose that it was still well worth it. And with it being a break even situation you couldn't ask for anything better than that. And with the way it looks for the coming school year, I'm extremely pleased with it. Our students are the ones who benefit so that makes everything worth it.�

The state Department of Education expects about 100 of Kentucky's 173 public school districts to participate during the coming school year in a federal program that makes free meals available to all children in a school if at least 40 percent of its students already qualify for free meals through federal programs, Valarie Honeycutt Spears reports of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

Princess Health and Princess Health andFDA issues warning label for tanning bed use by minors; sponsor of bill for a state ban says he will try again.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andFDA issues warning label for tanning bed use by minors; sponsor of bill for a state ban says he will try again.Princessiccia

dermatology General Assembly legislation legislature skin cancer state government youth

Gusty 09:18 Add Comment

Soon tanning beds will have a "black box" warning that those younger than 18 should not be using them, but some doctors, tanning companies and legislators do not think this will be sufficient to keep minors from tanning. "Consequently, some want a new Kentucky law prohibiting bed use by minors," Annie Garau writes for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Lexington Herald-Leader graphic

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced May 29 new regulations that moved sunlamps from the category of low-risk devices�like dental floss and tongue depressors�to moderate-risk devices. Tanning beds are dangerous because they emit ultraviolet rays like the ones from the sun. These ultraviolet rays not only cause wrinkles and eye damage but also cause skin cancers, including melanoma, which is the most deadly kind of skin cancer, according to the FDA and local doctors.

"There's really no way to get a tan right now without incurring the risk of cancer," said Dr. John D'Orzio, a researcher and pediatric oncologist at Kentucky Children's Hospital. "I don't want to tell people not to go outdoors at all because that would be ridiculous, but the actual ultraviolet radiation from the beds can be up to 10 times more than from standing in the sun." D'Orazio said his biggest concern is that children under 18 have access to the tanning beds. Currently Kentucky only requires "signed parental consent for teens ages 14 to 17 and in-person parental consent for anyone younger than 14," Garau writes.

Mark Wells and Cheryl Ledford, co-owners of Southern Rays Tanning, do not think the new warnings will turn customers away. "There has always been some kind of warning on the beds," Ledford said, "and they haven't stopped people from tanning."

Wells said there are health benefits to tanning, such as increased Vitamin D, the fading of acne and getting a "base tan" indoors to prevent burning outside. D'Orazio disagreed. "A base tan is not going to help you avoid the risks," he said. "You're still getting ultraviolet radiation while you're getting that base tan. Also, it really only takes about one minute of standing in the sun to get enough vitamin D. . . . This is a multibillion-dollar industry. That's a lot of money going into downplaying the negative consequences."

American Academy of Dermatology President Dr. Brett Coldiron said that although sometimes dermatologists prescribe phototherapy as a treatment, "The difference between phototherapy and indoor tanning is that phototherapy is closely monitored and supervised by a dermatologist. This type of medical care isn't provided at an indoor tanning salon, where operators have minimal knowledge about the potential side effects of UV light, and tanning bed lamps have variable amounts of UVA and UVB light."

State Rep. David Watkins, a Democrat and retired physician from Henderson, wanted to prevent Kentucky minors from using tanning beds without a medical prescription, but the Senate Health and Welfare Committee killed his House-passed bill. "I think I'm going to have to work a little harder and make sure my colleagues in the Senate understand that I'm not trying to limit freedoms," Watkins told Garau. "I'm trying to protect some of our most vulnerable constituents." (Read more)

Princess Health and Princess Health andStudy finds ADHD treatment might discourage smoking; Kentucky ranks high in both.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andStudy finds ADHD treatment might discourage smoking; Kentucky ranks high in both.Princessiccia

ADHD research smoking tobacco youth

Gusty 14:03 Add Comment

Stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might also reduce smoking risk, particularly if the medication is taken regularly, according to an analysis performed by Duke University. The study, online in the journal Pediatrics, has special signifcance for Kentucky, which first among the states in smoking and percentage of young people diagnosed with ADHD.

"Given that individuals with ADHD are more likely to smoke, our study supports the use of stimulant treatment to reduce the likelihood of smoking in youth with ADHD," said senior author Scott Kollins, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke.

ADHD, which causes hyperactivity, impulsivity and difficulty paying attention, is often treated with stimulant medication, behavior therapy or both. The smoking rates are much higher for people who have ADHD than for the rest of the population. "Studies have shown that youth with ADHD are two to three times mores likely to smoke cigarettes than their peers, and 40 percent of adults with ADHD smoke regularly, more than twice the rate" among adults without the disorder, a Duke release says.

Some studies regarding potential connections between the using stimulant medications and smoking showed that taking stimulant medications increases smoking, and others didn't reveal any effects. "It has been suggested that some people with ADHD 'self-medicate' their attention deficits using nicotine," said lead author Erin Schoenfelder, a Duke psychologist. "Our findings show that treating ADHD effectively with medication may prevent young people from picking up the habit."

So far, the Duke study is the largest meta-analysis about the effects of stimulant medications on smoking habits. It looked at 14 longitudinal studies about smoking and ADHD treatment. The study found a "significant association between stimulant treatment and lower smoking rates. The effect was larger in those with more severe ADHD and when participants took stimulant medications continuously," the release says. The researchers said more studies are required to figure out the nature of the stimulant treatment needed to assist in reducing smoking risk.

"This study may debunk the perception that stimulants will increase one's risk for smoking," Kollins said. Schoenfelder said, "My hope is that this research can help inform our efforts to prevent negative outcomes for kids with ADHD, including cigarette smoking. This population hasn't been targeted for smoking prevention efforts, despite the well-known connection between ADHD and smoking." (Read more)

Princess Health and Princess Health andBerea students' second health fair tackles touchy topics.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andBerea students' second health fair tackles touchy topics.Princessiccia

education health education schools sex education student health youth

Gusty 18:26 Add Comment

Della Walters tries to walk straight while wearing "drunk goggles" at
the Berea health fair. (Richmond Register photo by Crystal Wylie)

Student-run health fairs are becoming more popular across Kentucky, and some of them are touching on touchy topics. At their second health fair recently, for middle- and high-school students, Berea Community High School health students "handled more mature issues" than at their first, for elementary-school students. reports Crystal Wylie of The Richmond Register.

"Although students had their pick of topics ranging from sexually transmitted diseases, drunk driving, smoking, mental health, sugary drinks, learning disabilities and fitness," health teacher Cathy Jones said some students wanted to include 'sexting,' sexually oriented text messages. She allowed their presentation to pair the topic with cyber-bullying; students asked their classmates to sign a pledge against doing both.

�It�s a hot topic and something teenagers encounter,� Jones told Wylie. �They thought it was important to cover.� Jones said she plans to hold a fair twice a year. Meanwhile, Eastern Kentucky University professor Laurie Larkin and her public-health students conducted a health fair at Clark-Moores Middle School, Wylie reports. (Read more)