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Massachusetts Ban on Vaping Products
BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker today declared a public health emergency in response to confirmed and suspected cases of severe lung disease associated with the use of e‐cigarettes and marijuana vaping products in the Commonwealth. The Governor called for a temporary four‐month statewide ban on the sale of flavored and non‐flavored vaping products in both retail stores and online. The sales ban applies to all vaping products and devices, including tobacco and marijuana. The ban takes effect immediately and lasts through January 25, 2020.
Governor Charlie Baker Declares Public Health Emergency (PDF)
Governor's Declaration of Emergency (PDF)
DPH Notice of Order to Retailers (PDF)
Public Health Statement on Vaping
Dr. Swannie Jett, DrPH, MSc, Brookline Director of Public Health and Human Services cautions the Brookline community about dangers associated with vaping.
“Due to the recent incidents involving vaping, I urge residents to be mindful of the dangers associated with these devices. Please don’t tamper or modify these devices in any way from their intended usage. Don’t participate in any contests using these devices. There is limited knowledge about the potential harms associated with flavorings, nicotine, cannabinoids, and solvents so only purchase from approved sources. If you experience any health problems, please consult with your primary care physician immediately”, Dr. Jett stated.
Dr. Jett also noted the CDC statement of August 23, 2019 (below) and referred residents to the MA Department of Public Health campaign, “The New Look of Nicotine Addiction,” originally announced in July, 2018 (see full press release).
An important message from your Health Department about mosquito-borne viruses
On Thursday, September 12, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) upgraded Brookline’s risk level to moderate for West Nile Virus (WNV) due to the human case in Cambridge. Brookline Public Health reminds all residents to take appropriate precautions at this time of year.
Mosquito-borne viruses are viruses that are carried and spread by mosquitoes. In this part of the country, public health surveillance is done for two mosquito-borne viruses that can cause encephalitis (swelling of the brain) - West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The period of highest risk of getting either disease can be from late July through the fall months.
January Events:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Quiz
The Brookline Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations has released a new Monthly Quiz! The Monthly Quiz is a great way to test what you know about Brookline and learn new things about your community! If you score a 10/10 you will win a small prize (while supplies last) and your name will be entered into a year-end raffle.
The January quiz is a way to test your knowledge about Martin Luther King, Jr. To take the Quiz: Click https://www.brooklinema.gov/1514/Community-Quiz
For any questions or more information, contact Caitlin Starr at 617-730-2345 or cstarr@brooklinema.gov
You can also check out our MLK Display in Town Hall on the 6th Floor anytime this month and join us for Brookline's celebration of the life and values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 3 pm Monday, January 20, 2020, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.
"Roxbury to Brookline: One Family's Experience"
This year's program will feature Keynote Speaker, Ruth Ellen Fitch.
The program includes poetry, music and the inspirational words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Also featuring: poet/performer Regie Gibson, the Brookline High School Testostatones, the Brookline High School Glee Club, and Brookline Poet Laureate Zvi A. Sesling.
This event is free but to guarantee a seat you must reserve a ticket beforehand.
Reserved tickets are available here until Friday, January 17th:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/84936835361
In addition to reserved tickets some more have set aside for those unaware of, or unable to, access this online ticketing procedure. Remaining seats will be filled on a first come basis at the Coolidge Corner Theatre just before showtime.
PLEASE NOTE: Seating is limited, so come early. Doors will open at 2:30 pm.
Sign language interpretation will be provided. Other reasonable accommodations are available upon request - please contact Caitlin Starr at cstarr@brooklinema.gov or at 617-730-2345.
The Coolidge Corner Theater is accessible to persons with disabilities.
On MLK Day, participate in one of our Brookline Day of Service Projects:
MORE THAN WORDS BOOKSTORE AND CAFE, book, CD, DVD, and video game drive.
More Than Words is a non-profit that has served at-risk youth in the greater Boston area since 2004. With locations in South Boston and Waltham, they provide in-store job training in a challenging but supportive environment to young people who are out of school, homeless, in the foster care system, or in the criminal justice system.
We will be accepting books in good condition, both paperback and hardbound, CDs, DVDs, and video games in good condition, suitable for resale. If you are interested in volunteering at the collection, need packing boxes, require assistance or have general questions about the drive, please contact Chobee Hoy at chobee.hoy@compass.com or at 617-513-6073
Find out more about More Than Words at: mtwyouth.org.
Donation drop-off location: Brookline Booksmith, lower level, at 279 Harvard Street (Coolidge Corner), from 11 am to 2 pm.
Inspo: Expo Presents Welcome Blanket "Knit In"
The Town of Brookline's MLK Celebration Committee invites you to come learn how to knit, crochet, or quilt a Welcome Blanket (www.welcomeblanket.org)
Your blankets will be displayed in March as part of HIAS's National Refugee Shabbat and then gifted to local resettlement agencies to our newest neighbors. All crafting abilities and all ages welcome to this free event!
Located at Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Street from 1PM to 3PM.
For more information, email Hadassah Margolis at inspoexpo.brookline@gmail.com
Please join the Brookline Health Department and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations in our first forum in a series of three addressing Racism and Public Health. Over the course of the three forums we will aim to use data to tell a story and have discussions on the history of racism through the decades and its impact on health in particular, how social determinants cause health disparities, and the impacts of racism on mental health.
Our first forum will be held on Monday January 13, 2020 from 6-8pm at the Florida Ruffin Ridley School. The panel discussion will focus on “Racism as a Public Health Issue”. Our panel of speakers include Dr. Swannie Jett; Brookline Director of Health and Human Services, Dr. Barbara Brown; Chair of the Hidden Brookline Committee, Dr. Anthony Schlaff; Director of Public Health Program at Tufts University, and Dr. Raul Fernandez; Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Wheelock College. Bernard Greene, the Brookline Select Board Chair, will be the moderator for the discussion.
For more information, please contact Caitlin Starr, MPH, CDE at cstarr@brooklinema.gov or at 617-730-2345.
BWH Volunteer Opportunities
Products & Paraphernalia (video link)
Power to Decide: February 2019 Power Player
Cannabidiol-Hemp (CBD) Advisory
Cannabidiol-Hemp (CBD) Advisory (PDF)
New Marijuana Study
“A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that marijuana had a more damaging effect on teenagers’ long-term cognitive abilities than alcohol. Even after students reported stopping, their cognition did not improve.
Noteworthy research about long-term impact of teen marijuana use reported by Shamard Charles, MD, ABC Health News, December 31, 2018. Excerpt below:
“The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, followed over 3,800 adolescents from 31 Montreal-area schools over four years. The teens, who started participating in the study when they were 13, agreed to provide annual reports of how frequently they used marijuana and alcohol. They also took computer-based cognitive tests that measured recall memory, perceptual reasoning, inhibition and short-term memory.
“With the rise of legal weed, drug education moves from ‘don’t’ to ‘delay.’ To get a more honest account of their marijuana and alcohol consumption, students were assured that parents and teachers would not have access to the information — unless there was an imminent safety risk. The study concluded that marijuana had a more damaging effect on teenagers’ long-term cognitive abilities than alcohol. Even after students reported stopping marijuana, their cognition did not improve.”
Information on Marijuana
Health Survey Results
Evaluation of a mixed-methods community health assessment model: Lessons and opportunities
2019 Brookline Flu Clinics
*Open to all Brookline Residents - Adults, Seniors & Children (6 months+)*
Brookline Senior Center
93 Winchester Street
Tuesday, October 29 ~ 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Baker School
205 Beverly Road
Wednesday, November 13 ~ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Brookline High School
115 Greenough Street
Sunday, November 24 ~ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Important Information:
- Please bring all health insurance cards.
- Individuals without health insurance are welcome; there is no charge.
- All persons (6 months and older) should receive the vaccine each year.
- Wear loose-sleeved clothing.
- Limited Flu Mist will be available this year.
- Fluzone High-Dose influenza vaccine is NOT available
Questions or other information, please call 617-730-2336
Friends of Public Health
Brookline resident and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) Dean, Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, was awarded the Alan Balsam Public Health Leadership Award by the Friends of Brookline Public Health (FPH) on April 4, 2019, during National Public Health Week activities in Brookline. The award is presented to a Brookline resident for outstanding leadership in public health both at the local and national level. Dean Galea received the award at the Coolidge Corner School in Brookline prior to his talk: “How the Trump Administration is Shaping Your Health.”
Prior to coming to BUSPH in January, 2015, Dean Galea was Gelman Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
He previously held academic and leadership positions at the University of Michigan and at the New York Academy of Medicine, and received degrees from Columbia and Harvard University.
Dean Galea has published more than 800 scientific journal articles, 50 book chapters, and 13 books. His forthcoming book, Well: what we need to talk about when we talk about health, will be published by Oxford University Press in May 2019.
The Friends of Brookline Public Health (FPH), a non-profit organization, was formed in 1999 by J. Jacques Carter MD, MPH (Chair, Brookline Advisory Council of Public Health) and Alan Balsam PhD, MPH (Director, Brookline Public Health and Human Services). The goals of the organization are to build a constituency and advocate for public health at the local level, educate the community about public health, secure grants and other donations, and provide seed funding for worthy local public health projects.
To date, FPH include 160 individual members and 10 corporate members, the former paying $25/year and the latter paying $100/year to join. Most members are public health and medical practitioners who live and/or work in Brookline. The Friends of Public Health also holds annual public health forum moderated by Former Governor Dukakis. Awards and mini grants are given out during this meeting. We also accept your kind donations in order to fund organizations that need our support!
Brookline Public Health and Human Services’ mission is to preserve, protect & promote the physical, mental, and environmental health of the Brookline Community. We collaborate with partners to reduce health inequities and respond to emerging public health challenges.
Currently, the FPH is moving toward to obtaining its 501 (C)(3) status by recruiting more members who are interested in supporting local organizations. The Friends of Public Health plays a role in educational campaigns and community health, as well as in advocacy for local community. The Friends of Public Health would love to have your support to make the town a better place! Please join us!
Find us on social media:
Twitter : @fph_Brookline
Facebook: Brookline Friends of Public Health@brookline.fph
Email: brookline.fph@outlook.com
Population Health
Greetings!
I’ve been asked many times what population health is. Wikipedia defines it as “the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group." It is in essence, a strategic plan to improve the health of the entire population.
Health is a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (WHO, 1998) Public Health is “What we, as a society, do collectively to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy." (IOM 1988).
Public Health
- Prevents epidemics and the spread of disease
- Prevents injuries
- Promotes and encourages healthy behavior
- Responds to disasters
- Assures the quality and accessibility of Health Services
“Population health is public health”
- A medical model saves lives one person at a time
- Public Health saves lives millions at a time.
Through public health achievements life expectancy in the United States has increased from 47.3 years in 1900 to 78.1 years in 1996. That’s a 25+ years of life improvement.
Additional Information
Dr. Swannie Jett, Health Commissioner of Public Health, asks that you contact the Brookline Health Department at 617-730-2300 with any questions or requests for additional information.