Page 6- The News, February 16, 2017


Smokers “Quittinʼ Time” encourages smokers to commit to a healthy life


Wanda Southerland Contributor Much attention has been


focused this week on the heart as it represents love and romance.


Along with Valentine’s Day,


February is also American Heart Month. Health officials are encouraging everyone to commit to a healthy lifestyle and heart. According to the American


Heart Association, heart dis- ease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. One of the causes of heart


damage is the use of tobacco products. In Tennessee alone, tobacco use claims about 30 lives each day. And, if current smoking rates continue, 125,000 Tennessee children alive today who are younger than 18 years of age will die prematurely as a result of smoking. Not only does tobacco use impact one’s health, but did you know that almost $3 billion in annual health care costs in Tennessee is directly caused by smoking? The Tennessee Department


of Health (TDH) chose “It’s Quittin’ Time in Tennessee” as its campaign theme this week to celebrate Tennesseans who have quit using tobacco prod- ucts and inspire more people to join them.


On Tuesday, TDH Commis-


sioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH joined former U.S. Senator Bill Frist, MD, founder and chairman of Nashville- Health, and the Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness CEO Richard Johnson at the State Capitol to celebrate Tennessee Quit Week and dis- cuss opportunities for citizens, government, business and non-profit leaders to partner in reducing tobacco use in Tennessee.


Counties with flu outbreaks close schools; hand


hygiene encouraged Outbreaks of flu are caus- ing some Tennessee counties to close schools for the remain- der of the week, hoping this will give teachers and students time to recuperate. Monday is Presidents Day and a holiday for schools.


Neighboring Wilson County’s


Schools Director Dr. Donna Wright reported that approxi- mately 140 teachers had called in sick, which resulted in more than 25 classrooms without a teacher.


Smith and Humphreys counties have also closed for the remainder of the week. Ameerah Palacion, with


Metro schools communica- tions department, said atten- dance is running at 92 percent and that school officials are monitoring what is happening with neighboring county schools.


“In the meantime, we en- “The impacts of tobacco use


in Tennessee go beyond the damage done to the health, quality of life and incomes of those who choose to smoke,” said Dreyzehner. “Tobacco use costs our state billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and health care costs, serious and prevent- able consequences that hurt the prosperity of our state and those who live and work here. We want to increase our part- nerships across the public and private sectors to educate peo- ple on the harms of tobacco use and how we can work together to help people improve their health and their lives by beat- ing nicotine addiction.” Tennessee Quit Week raises


awareness of the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine and other


free resources available to help Tennesseans quit smoking and/or using other tobacco products. These proven, effec- tive services can double a tobac- co user’s chances of quitting. Tennesseans who smoke and


are ready to quit can call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine, use a web-based program or attend in-person counseling services and may receive free FDA-approved nicotine replace- ment therapy. These services are provided


at no charge to participants. Call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1- 800-784-8669) to talk with a coun- selor who will help you create a quit plan. For more information and


resources or to enroll online, visit www.tnquitline.org.


courage students and families to continue good health habits and for parents to keep sick children home,” Palacion added.


According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) flu sea- son activity most commonly peaks between December and March, but flu viruses can cause illness from early October to late May. The highest number of


influenza cases in Tennessee, which currently is among the states with the highest levels of flu activity, is typically seen in January and February each year, according to the CDC. Flu viruses are thought to


spread mainly from person to person through coughs and sneezes of infected people. People of all ages get sick with flu; however, school-aged


children are a group with a high rate of flu illness. Flu symptoms can include:


fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, tiredness, and sometimes diarrhea and vom- iting. To stop the spread of germs,


students, parents and staff are encouraged to take everyday preventive measures.


First, students and staff should stay home when they are sick. The CDC recom- mends staying home at least 24 hours after the person no longer has a fever or signs of a fever. Everyone should be taught and encouraged to cover coughs and sneezes with a tis- sue or their bent arm. When using a tissue, the used tissue should be put in a trash can and hands washed. Hands should be washed often with soap and water for 20 seconds, dry hands with a paper towel, and use the paper towel to turn off the faucet. If soap and water are not


available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60-percent alcohol may be used.


It is also important to keep


hands away from the nose, mouth and eyes. The CDC also recommends


keeping sick students and staff from others until they can be picked up to go home. When feasible, identify a “sick room” through which others do not regularly pass. The sick room should be separated from areas used by well students for rou- tine health activities, such as picking up medications.


Metro Offers Free Identity Service to Retirees Following Mailing Malfunction identities are protected.


Metro Nashville retirees


will receive free fraud protec- tion services after receiving tax documents in unsealed envelopes, according to the mayor's office Tuesday. Mayor Megan Barry has


directed Metro to offer one year of free identity monitor- ing services to Metro pension recipients whose sensitive information may have been compromised in a recent mail- ing.


“Protecting the privacy and


sensitive information of Metro employees and citizens is a top


priority of Metro Government,” said Mayor Barry. “While there is no indication that sensitive information was obtained by third parties, we want to be sure that our Metro retirees are protected from any poten- tial fraud. The credit monitor- ing service will give our retirees an added level of pro- tection and security in the event that any of their infor- mation was compromised.” The issue was brought to the


attention of Metro on January 30, 2017, when Human Resources and Finance received reports


that some of the Form-1099s mailed to retirees were deliv- ered with the envelope unsealed. Those forms con- tained the name and Social Security numbers of the retirees to whom they were sent. Approximately 9,350 received the mailings, though indications are that only a small fraction of those were delivered unsealed. After review, the Metro


Department of General Services and Metro Finance Department believe the inci- dent occurred as a result of


envelopes not sealing correctly. Steps have been taken to address the issue, while fur- ther reviewing processes to ensure that sensitive data and information is protected. Metro pension recipients


will be receiving a letter from Metro Finance this week out- lining steps and procedures for taking advantage of the one- year identity monitoring serv- ice offered by Identity Force. The letter will include a code for signing up for the service, as well as other information on how to ensure their credit and


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