News Releases - Grey Bruce Health Unit

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News Releases - 2013

Significant health related issues and events
that appear in newspapers and other media.

June

Students Clean Up Port Elgin Beach
Release Date: June 19, 2013
Owen Students from Saugeen District Secondary School hit the beach last week - not to catch some sun or to swim but to protect the environment by conducting a shoreline clean-up.
Ten students met at the main beach in Port Elgin on June 12. Led by members of the local Planeteers, the group conducted a clean-up of the main beach and parking lot.

Raccoon Distemper - Give Wildlife Some Space!
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Owen Sound Police Service, Saugeen Shores Police Service and the Grey Bruce Health Unit are reminding people of the importance of keeping a safe distance from wildlife. Raccoons are a particular concern this year. An epidemic of distemper in the local raccoon population is causing infected animals to lose their fear of humans and sometimes behave in an aggressive or erratic manner. People can’t become infected with distemper. However, wildlife can be carriers of rabies and other communicable diseases that can cause serious illness or even death in humans.

Recent cases of bacterial meningitis
Release Date: June 13, 2013
Grey Bruce Health Unit is investigating a recent case of bacterial meningitis (Invasive Meningococcal Disease) in a hospitalized man in his 40’s from southern Grey County. This person was in close contact with a recently deceased individual who showed symptoms of the same disease.

Guys Caring for Kids Photo Contest Announced
Release Date: June 13, 2013
Just in time for Father’s Day, the 4th Annual Guys Caring for Kids Photo Contest is now accepting submissions. The contest challenges photographers to capture the visual stories of men in caring relationships with children. Although men are more involved in the lives of children as fathers, uncles, grandfathers, friends, coaches and neighbours, the majority of visual images still feature females in this role. Several organizations have come together to celebrate the interactions of men with our younger generations.

Longest Day of PLAY goes national – and it started in Grey Bruce
Release Date: June 13, 2013
The PLAY in Bruce Grey physical activity initiative announces the third annual Longest Day of PLAY on the first day of summer June 21, 2013. The Longest Day of PLAY is a community-based physical activity challenge that encourages Grey Bruce residents to get more active. Trophies will be awarded to the municipalities logging the most PLAY hours by percentage of population. Visit www.playbrucegrey.com for schedule of events and to log your PLAY hours on June 21.

Multimedia and Art Contest Winners
Release Date: June 12, 2013
The Grey Bruce Task Force on Crystal Meth and Other Drugs announces the winners of the 2013 Multimedia and Art Contest. Over 100 people participated in this year’s contest submitting 54 entries including 23 posters, 18 videos and 13 pieces of writing.

Fry Master 2000 Cooks up Reality in Schools
Release Date: June 7, 2013
FLESHERTON - With prom and graduation season, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Grey Bruce Health Unit have teamed up to make youth more aware of the dangers of artificial tanning.

Rabid Bat Identified
Release Date: June 7, 2013
Test results received June 5, 2013, confirm rabies in a big brown bat found in the Flesherton area.

Record set at annual Turn Off the Screens challenge
Release Date: June 3, 2013
The 2013 Turn Off the Screens challenge set a record for the highest percentage of participants by an individual school, with 82 % student at Sullivan Community School in Desboro taking part. This surpasses the previous high of a 75%, also set by Sullivan in 2005.

Fry Master 2000 Cooks up Reality in Schools
Release Date: June 3, 2013
WALKERTON - With prom and graduation season, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Grey Bruce Health Unit have teamed up to make youth more aware of the dangers of artificial tanning.

May

Fry Master 2000 Cooks up Reality in Schools
Release Date: May 27, 2013
OWEN SOUND - With prom and graduation season, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Grey Bruce Health Unit have teamed up to make youth more aware of the dangers of artificial tanning.

Revised Board of Health Meeting Schedule 2013
Release Date: May 21, 2013
Please be advised of revisions to the 2013 schedule of the Board of Health for the Grey Bruce Health Unit. Meetings for June and July have been rescheduled.

New Car Seat Safety Videos from Public Health
Release Date: May 21, 2013
Parents want their children safe when riding in a car. However, many parents struggle to ensure their child’s car seat is installed correctly. The different kinds of car seats and variety of vehicles, as well as the sometimes baffling installation instructions and vehicle owners’ manuals, add to the uncertainty.

Drive safe this long weekend!
Release Date: May 16, 2013
With the long weekend approaching, we can expect to see a lot more vehicles on the road. Drivers are reminded to avoid distractions when behind the wheel and to stay off their phones. The CAA reports that distracted driving accounts for 80% of all collisions.

Get a Free Sport Water Bottle When You Test Your Well Water
Release Date: May 15, 2013
Grey Bruce has excellent quality water, but individual supplies can be affected by a number of factors. Spring conditions, including heavy rains and run-off, may impact your drinking water. To encourage people to test their water, Public Health is giving away reusable sports bottles when you pick up a sample bottle from any of the locations across Grey Bruce.

Fry Master 2000 Cooks up Reality in Schools
Release Date: May 13, 2013
WIARTON - With prom and graduation season, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Grey Bruce Health Unit have teamed up to make youth more aware of the dangers of artificial tanning. The Fry Master 2000, a tanning bed display that looks similar to a casket, alluding to the fatal effects from the use of tanning beds, will be set up at Peninsula Shores District School, May 13 to 17.

Rethink Your Drinking - When it comes to alcohol, size matters
Release Date: May 13, 2013
If you were asked to pour a standard sized drink of beer, wine or spirits, how much would you serve? When it comes to alcohol, size matters because the amount of alcohol is different in each drink. Knowing the size of a standard serving can help you make informed choices about drinking and cut the health risks related to alcohol.

April

STOP! Clean Your Hands Day – May 6, 2013
Release Date: April 29, 2013
The third national STOP! Clean Your Hands Day takes place Monday, May 6. This event coincides with the World Health Organization initiative, Save Lives: Clean Your Hands.

Pause to PLAY and Turn Off The Screens
Release Date: April 22, 2013
It’s time once again for children and their families to participate in the Turn Off The Screens challenge. This year, the 11^th annual event will run from April 29 to May 5. During this week, students do their best to get off the couch and get active by turning off the television, video game and computer.

Public Assistance Request
Release Date: April 3, 2013
The Grey Bruce Health Unit is seeking assistance from the public in finding the owner of a dog involved in a biting incident that occurred in Meaford.

Toothbrushes for Oral Health Month
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Public health dental professionals are supporting Oral Health month by giving away 1500 adult toothbrushes. The toothbrushes, which were donated to the Health Unit, will be distributed through the 15 area food banks across Grey Bruce.

March

Multimedia and Art Contest - 12 cash prizes to be won!
Release Date: March 22, 2013
The Grey Bruce Task Force on Crystal Meth and Other Drugs is looking for multimedia and art submissions from Grey Bruce youth that highlight the health benefits of being drug-free and/or show the risks associated with drug use.

World TB Day - Stop TB in my lifetime
Release Date: March 13, 2013
The World Health Organization continues to work towards a world free of tuberculosis (TB). World TB Day takes place on March 24 each year, and this year the Stop TB in my lifetime campaign continues into its second year.

Measles in Ontario
Release Date: March 12, 2013
The Grey Bruce Health Unit is following up with families who travelled to a resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The resort is associated with an international outbreak of measles. Alerts were sent to physicians, hospitals and health units across Canada.

February

Join a national conversation on The Right to Food
Release Date: February 25, 2013
Residents of Grey and Bruce counties will soon have the opportunity to partake in a national event. Guest speaker Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, will address audiences across Canada via a webinar link from his post in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Great Salt Debate
Release Date: February 8, 2013
Debate is underway in the House of Commons regarding the private member sponsored Bill C-460, An Act respecting the implementation of the sodium reduction strategy for Canada.

Family Day of PLAY
Release Date: February 7, 2013
Celebrate Ontario’s Family Day by participating in the Family Day of PLAY community challenge. Families are encouraged to take part by being physically active on February 18 and logging their activity hours...

REACH a new personal goal in February
Release Date: February 6, 2013
As part of February, heart month, the Grey Bruce Health Unit and the Heart and Stroke Foundation are rolling out a study offering an chance to feel better about your quality of life and to take care of your heart health at the same time.

January

Healthcare workers in Grey Bruce are getting their flu shot
Release Date: January 25, 2013
Healthcare worker influenza vaccination rates are up across Grey Bruce.

Safe Winter Driving
Release Date: January 22, 2013
The harsh winter weather in Grey Bruce can be very challenging, exposing drivers to a wide range of weather and road conditions that can change drastically in a matter of hours. And as a driver, it’s best to be prepared!
Attachment: Winter-Driving-Fact-Sheets

National Non-Smoking Week - Time to limit smoking in outdoor spaces
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Grey Bruce celebrates National Non-Smoking Week, January 20 to 26, with a renewed effort to support bylaws to limit smoking in outdoor public places. Both Grey and Bruce County Corporate Services Committees have agreed to look at bylaw(s) to educate on and to regulate smoke-free outdoor spaces.