Harm Reduction Policies Can Prevent Overdose Fatalities
Adopting a public health approach to substance use by implementing harm reduction policies across all levels of government can help communities address the overdose crisis. This post analyzes e
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State Policies to Improve Youth Mental Health and Reduce Suicides
Ohio,
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted youth mental health, particularly as a result of school closures, social isolation, family economic hardship, fear of family loss or illness, and reduced ...
Ending the HIV Epidemic: 40 Years of Progress
HIV,
This June marked the 40-year anniversary of the first five cases of what later became known as AIDS reported in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Since then, more than 32 million people ...
Youth Sports as a Protective Factor to Promote Resiliency
Every year in mid-July is National Youth Sports Week—in 2021 it falls on July 19-23. It’s an important health observance because youth sports create strong connections with peers and caring adults, ...
States Leverage COVID-19 Relief Funding to Improve Accessibility for People Living With Disabilities
On the 32nd anniversary of the ADA, this blog post explores state legislation around the country that supports people living with disabilities.
Updated Rundown of State and Territorial COVID-19 Mask Requirements
Guam,
Ohio,
Several states and territories, as well as many local governments, are going beyond recommendations and requiring individuals to wear face coverings when they are in public settings and spaces (i.e. ...
The Legal Framework for Administering COVID-19 Vaccines
Iowa,
Anticipating a rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines as they are authorized, the CDC developed COVID-19 Vaccination Program Operational Guidance in collaboration with state and local jurisdictions to ...
How States Are Addressing the Public Health Crisis of Racism
An increasing body of research finds racism can have a significant impact across one’s lifespan. Research shows that persistent exposure to racial discrimination may result in premature aging, poor ...
State Policy Actions to Support Long-Term Care Facilities During COVID-19 Response
As COVID-19 emerged and spread in the U.S., people working and residing in long-term care facilities have experienced a significant burden of COVID-19 cases and deaths. As of Oct. 8, deaths ...
Domestic Holiday Travel Pandemic Restrictions and Recommendations
Guam,
Iowa,
Ohio,
Utah,
The 2020 holiday season is coinciding with a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases. With great concern that holiday travel to see loved ones may exacerbate community spread of the virus, many states are ...
ASTHO Policy Watch 2022: Maintaining Public Health’s Legal Authority to Prevent Disease Spread
Iowa,
Ohio,
States and territories have broad powers to protect public health and safety, including powers to prevent and control the spread of communicable disease typically exercised by state and territorial ...
2022 Legislative Session Update: Part Two
HIV,
PFAS,
The ASTHO State Health Policy team provides brief updates on 5 of the ten state health policy issues to watch in 2022: mental and behavioral health, rural health, e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco ...
Stronger Together: Six Strategies to Enhance Your State’s Suicide Prevention Infrastructure
Ohio,
Utah,
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the importance of continued mental health promotion and suicide prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we address the physical effects of ...
States Tackle the Climbing Maternal Mortality Rate in the U.S.
There are two alarming health trends on the rise affecting women across the United States: maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. This post is an overview of legislative activity from the ...
How States are Bolstering a Contact Tracing Workforce
To help break the chain of COVID-19 infections, state and local health departments are conducting disease investigations and contact tracing, core tools of public health practice used to combat the ...
Who Are the Vaccinators? A Look at the Vaccination Workforce
As the U.S. continues to undertake the largest vaccination campaign in almost a century, it has required government at all levels to surge workforce capacity. The federal government, states, ...
Financing Community Health Workers Through Medicaid
As the nation grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, community health workers are being recognized for the role they play in improving health outcomes of our most vulnerable communities. In ...
Modernizing State HIV Laws: Legislation to Prevent and Decriminalize HIV
HIV,
Though we’ve made progress on the number of HIV cases in the U.S, tens of thousands of Americans are diagnosed with HIV each year—a disproportionate number being people of color. In 2019, the federal ...
State Actions on COVID-19 Vaccine Verification
Iowa,
As the number of COVID-19 vaccinations grows, some states are looking at their vaccination rates to determine when to loosen measures that mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as venue capacity ...
State Public Health Authorities Face COVID-19 Legal Challenges
As COVID-19 spread across the country, governors and health officials invoked their emergency powers to order physical distancing measures designed to reduce social interactions and slow the spread ...