Winter Storms Can Be Deadly
• Extreme cold can cause hypothermia (an extreme lowering of the body’s temperature) and death.

• Fireplaces, emergency heaters, and candles can cause household fires.

• Toxic fumes, such as carbon monoxide, from heaters can cause asphyxiation (unconsciousness or death from a lack of oxygen).

Autumn requires us to make changes in our lifestyle due to weather, daylight changes, school activities, and upcoming holidays. Greet the fall with ways to help keep you and your kids safe and healthy. Take steps to make sure your kids develop healthy habits that will help them now and throughout their lives.

For many people, fall events like Halloween and Harvest Day are fun times to dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, attend parties, and eat yummy treats. These events are also opportunities to provide nutritious snacks, get physical activity, and focus on safety. Below are tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters and party guests.

Colds and flu are caused by viruses. Taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do more harm than good. Get smart about when antibiotics are appropriate. 


It starts with a sniffle or a sneeze. Perhaps a scratchy throat or a sinus headache. You or someone you know gets a cold. 



Are you aware that colds, flu, most sore throats, and acute bronchitis are caused by viruses? Did you know that antibiotics do not help fight viruses? It's true.

On September 18, 2007, the Surgeon General reemphasized that secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and that US children are more heavily exposed to secondhand smoke than nonsmoking adults. The 2006 Surgeon General's report noted that 60 percent of US children aged 3-11 years—nearly 22 million young people—are exposed to secondhand smoke. 


Surgeon General Moritsugu joined with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Administration for Children and Families on September 18, 2007 to encourage parents, friends, family, healthcare providers, teachers, caregivers, and public health and community organizations to safeguard children immediately from the threat of secondhand smoke.

South Dakota Senator John Thune introduced an amendment to the 2008 Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill that would provide an additional $6.8 million for the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to increase access to telehealth resources across the nation. 


The amendment would bring the total funding for the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to $13.8 million.

We all knew it was coming, the shorter days and colder nights, all signifying the end of yet another summer. While some people rejoice at the reprieve from the oppressive heat and humidity of summer, others see the seasonal change for the worse. Some of these individuals may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a syndrome of symptoms that mimic depression; however occurring with a seasonal onset and remission.