Report: Excessive Drinking Causes More Than 500 Deaths Annually in Utah

(Salt Lake City) - Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on Alcohol-Attributable Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost by State – 11 States, 2006-2010, in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

The report highlights the collaboration among 11 states (California, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin) participating in the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ (CSTE) Alcohol Subcommittee. Participating states used CDC’s Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) software to generate alcohol-attributable deaths (AAD) and years of potential life lost (YPLL) estimates resulting from excessive alcohol consumption.

Excessive alcohol use is the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and, in 2006, cost an estimated $223.5 billion. The report revealed that the highest death rate due to excessive drinking was in New Mexico, and the lowest was in Utah. In Utah, there were an average of 513 deaths and 15,760 YPLL annually from 2006-2010 due to excessive drinking.  Nearly 73% of these deaths involved working-aged (20-64 years) adults.

“The fact that Utah has one of the lowest rates of alcohol-attributable deaths in the nation is not a coincidence,” said Brent Kelsey, Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Assistant Director. “Utah has developed an evidence-based, focused strategy to combat the negative societal effects of excess alcohol consumption. We believe these reasonable public policy decisions help Utah avoid many of the problems that plague other states,” Kelsey added. “However, despite the successes, we need to remain vigilant to save more lives and reduce costs to families and communities.”

“This is a critical report for the states in the study and the nation as a whole,” said Dr. Joanna Watson, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer with the Utah Department of Health. “The findings underscore the substantial contribution of excessive drinking to premature mortality both in Utah and across the country.”

The report highlights the ongoing public health impact of excessive drinking and points out geographic and demographic disparities across the country. Deaths and years of life lost are particularly high among American Indian/Native American (AI/NA) populations. For example, in Utah, there were approximately 61deaths per 100,000 population among AI/NA residents compared to 22 deaths per 100,000 population among white non-Hispanics.

Routine monitoring by states of alcohol-attributable health outcomes, including deaths and YPLL, could support the planning and implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce excessive drinking and its related harms.

For a full copy of the report, visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html.

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

New Data Show Impact of Dating Violence on Utah Teens

(Salt Lake City, UT) – New data from the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS) show that in 2013, one in four (28%) high school students who dated or went out with someone in the past year report they were emotionally, verbally, physically, or sexually abused by that person. This percentage goes down as students get older, especially for female students.

According to YRBS data, in 2013:

•     22.7% of students reported being verbally or emotionally harmed one or more times by a dating partner. Females (19.2%) were more likely to report verbal and emotional abuse compared to males (11.7%).

•     10.7% of students reported being forced to do sexual things they did not want to by a dating partner. Females (15.0%) were more likely to report sexual abuse compared to males (6.3%).

•     6.9% of students reported being physically hurt on purpose one or more times by a dating partner.

•     21.9% of students reported being bullied on school property; with the majority (16.8%) being electronically bullied.

To help teachers and students understand the dynamics of unhealthy dating relationships, the UDOH and Utah Healthy Relationship Task Force have developed a dating violence prevention toolkit.

“The Healthy Relationships Toolkit was adapted for Utah classrooms from the evidence-based curriculum ‘Safe Dates’, which has been shown to significantly reduce psychological, sexual, and physical abuse and perpetration in national studies,” said Katie McMinn, UDOH Violence Prevention Specialist.

The toolkit provides interactive role plays, worksheets, and games to help students understand the differences between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative, or abusive ones. Local resources for individuals who may be in abusive relationships are provided, as well as safety tips, warning signs, and practical tools to help students understand the attitudes and behaviors associated with unhealthy relationships and dating violence.

“As a community we need to teach our young people how to respect one another, talk through problems, and manage their anger in a healthy manner,” said McMinn. “If we do that, we can reduce and even end violence, whether it’s domestic or dating violence, bullying, or child abuse.”

Study Shows No Increased Environmental Cancer Risk in South Davis County

(Salt Lake City, UT) – At the request of the Davis County Health Department (DCHD) and under the direction of  Governor Gary R. Herbert, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) has completed an analysis of 35 years of cancer data in the the area surrounding the Stericycle facility in Davis County. 

The UDOH Environmental Epidemiology Program (EEP) looked at all reportable cancers in south Davis County (the cities of Bountiful, Centerville, North Salt Lake, West Bountiful and  Woods Cross) for the years 1976 through 2011. The results did show some elevated cancer numbers, none of which are attributable to environmental exposures.

DCHD Director Lewis Garrett says he requested the study several months ago in reponse to resident concerns. “A number of Davis County citizens called the Department worried about a Notice of Violation lodged against Stericycle by the Utah Division of Air Quality,” said Garrett. “I wanted to know if our residents have suffered quantifiable health effects from Stericycle operations.”

Cancer rates in the study area that are higher than the state average for at least two consecutive six-year periods are considered meaningful. 

The study found two cancer types that met that definition: breast (2000-2011) and prostate (1988-1999).   Six cancer types were found to be higher than the state average in the last six-year study period, so it cannot be determined if those rates are evidence of the beginning of a cluster, or simply random variation of the data, until another study period elapses. The study can be found at http://health.utah.gov/enviroepi/cancerstudies/Documents/SouthDavisCountyCancerStudy(Final29Jan2014).pdf.

Those cancers are:  

o  Colon cancer

o  Prostate cancer

o  Cutaneous melanoma (a type of skin cancer)

o  Bone and joint cancer

o  Breast cancer

o  Anal cancer among women

None of the cancers is typically associated with environmental exposure.

“These cancers are all highly preventable through lifestyle choices and regular health screenings,” said Allyn Nakashima, MD, State Epidemiologist. “No links to air, water, or soil have ever been established for these types of cancer.”

Garrett says the initial study establishes a baseline for future investigations into the health of Davis County residents.  

Also as part of the investigation, UDOH collected soil samples to check for levels of dioxin and heavy metals near the Stericycle plant. EEP is also conducting a statistical investigation of adverse birth outcomes in south Davis County. Results of both studies will be available in a few months.

New Violence and Injury Data Available by Neighborhood

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Have you ever wondered whether your town has more suicides than others? Or whether residents in your community are in more motor vehicle crashes? Just check the Utah Department of Health's (UDOH) new Violence and Injury Small Area report. The report summarizes data on 17 different injury-related topics by "small areas" across the state.

“Small areas” refers to a set of 62 geographic areas in Utah with population sizes ranging from 20,000 to more than 100,000 persons. These areas are especially useful for assessing health needs at the community level and targeting programs to those at greatest risk for injury

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This is the second Violence and Injury Small Area report released by the UDOH in the last four years. Data from the first report were used by local health officials to identify communities in greatest need of limited resources. For example, in Utah County, two communities were identified as having the highest hospitalization rates from falls for Utahns aged 65 and older. As a result, the Utah County Health Department secured funding from the UDOH and Mountainland Association of Governments to implement the Stepping On program in these two high-risk communities. Stepping On is an evidence-based program shown to reduce falls by 31%. Today, five counties (Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah, and Wasatch) offer Stepping On to residents via their local Health or Aging Services departments. 

Findings from the report indicate that some injuries vary widely within a local health district. For example, within the four small areas that make up the Bear River Health District, the rate of emergency department visits from suicide attempts varied from a low of 6.5 in Logan (ranked the 8th lowest in the state) to a high of 27.0 in Brigham City (ranked the highest in the state) per 10,000 persons. The state rate is 11.3 per 10,000 persons. As a result, the Bear River Health Department has formed partnerships with community agencies to educate citizens about mental health resources and decrease the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Officials have also implemented a free, evidence-based suicide prevention program called QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), which is designed to teach the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond.

“Utah has made tremendous strides in preventing injuries and violence in our state over the last 30 years, but this report shows that residents in some areas are still at higher risk than others,” said Trisha Keller, Program Manager for the UDOH Violence and Injury Prevention Program.

The data are presented in tables, graphs, and maps to help show differences across the state. The report includes maps of each health district and its small areas to help the reader see where violence and injury problems are concentrated.

The topics in the report include:

•     Child injuries and fatalities

•     Fall-related injuries and fatalities

•     Firearm fatalities

•     Self-reported seatbelt usage

•     Motor vehicle crash injuries and fatalities

•     Poisoning fatalities

•     Suicide attempts and fatalities

•     Traumatic brain injury hospitalizations

For a full copy of the Utah Violence and Injury Small Area report, visit http://health.utah.gov/vipp.

Prominent Utah Women are Faces of New Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

(SALT LAKE CITY) – Getting regular mammograms is the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. When found early, breast cancer is treatable.

"Not a lot of people can say their job saved their life, but mine was truly saved when I got a mammogram for a TV story," says Mary Nickles, KUTV anchor who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 after she did a news story on the importance – and ease – of getting a mammogram.

Utah women have the second lowest breast cancer screening rates in the country. In an effort to change that the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Cancer Control Program (UCCP) created a series of TV and radio ads featuring both Nickles and Sheri Dew, president and CEO of Deseret Book Company. Both share their stories of how getting a mammogram saved their life.

“I know a lot of busy women, in fact I don’t think I know a woman who isn’t busy, but take it from me, take 45 minutes, just do it.  Just go get a mammogram,” says Dew.

“Our key message is for all women who are 40 years and older to get screened,” said Lynne Nilson, program director, UCCP.  “If you are a woman, you are at risk, and that risk increases with age.  In fact, more than 85 percent of breast cancers occur in women with no family history.”  

“We are so appreciative of Sheri and Mary for taking the time to be part of this extremely important campaign by sharing their story with all Utahns,” added Nilson. “They both lead very busy lives, and their message is clear that taking time to get a mammogram is one of the best things a woman can do for herself and her family.

For more information or to see the ads, visit www.cancerutah.org.

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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public's health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.