News Releases from Department of Health

Every day is a celebration of progress for the more than 1,300 men and women with severe and persistent mental illness who participate in Hawaii Clubhouse Coalition. The clubhouses, which are funded by the Hawaii Department of Health’s Adult Mental Health Division, are safe, cost-effective approaches to help people integrate back into the community after ...
Read More Hawaii Clubhouse Coalition Gives Others a New Start at Life

When it comes to Hawaii statistics on smoking and tobacco use, the facts speak for themselves: Hawaii now holds the distinction of having the third lowest adult smoking rate in the nation. From 2000 to 2013, Hawaii conservatively saved more than $586 million on direct health care costs because adults, youth and pregnant women quit smoking and/or ...
Read More Are Hawaii’s Tobacco Prevention Programs Being Put at Risk?

The Hawaii Department of Health is launching the Hawaii Smiles program for third graders in 64 public and charter elementary schools across Hawaii to collect representative data on the status of oral health of children in the state. More than 2,000 children across the state will have the opportunity to receive a free, one-minute dental ...
Read More Dental Public Health Surveillance for Children

Although measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000 as a result of a very successful vaccination program, the highly contagious respiratory viral illness has recently resurfaced. Measles Outbreak A multistate measles outbreak associated with travel to Disney resorts in California has been ongoing since December 2014; as of February 9, 2015, 114 individuals ...
Read More Measles Makes a Comeback

On average, Hawaii’s teens drink 8.6 sugary drinks per week — more than any other age group. That translates into the average Hawaii teen DRINKING 40 pounds of sugar a year! And this puts Hawaii teens at risk for gaining up to 10 POUNDS  in one year. The Hawaii Department of Health launched the “Rethink Your Drink” media campaign ...
Read More And the “Rethink Your Drink” Winners Are…

Terry Corpuz, a member of the Department of Health’s Hazard Evaluation and Emergency (HEER) Response team, served as a member of the flyover crew to inspect the ocean following the recent tugboat incident 2.5 miles off Barbers Point. He joined representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and the responsible party to assess the impact of an estimated 75,000-gallon diesel fuel release when ...
Read More Tugboat Aerial Assessment Team

The Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response (HEER) Office of the Hawaii State Department of Health has recently been hard at work to respond to emergencies in our community. Last week, HEER personnel provided oversight of the response activities related to a 42,000-gallon release of jet fuel from an above ground storage tank at the Airport Service Group ...
Read More HEER Office:
Hawaii’s Unsung Heroes

The Hawaii Department of Health continues to make significant progress in conducting inspections of restaurants and other food service establishments since the launch of a placard program in July 2014. The program evaluates food establishments and posts color placards to indicate if the inspection revealed any food–borne illness risk factor violations. On Oahu alone, there are ...
Read More Inspections of Hawaii Food Establishments Increasing

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are prohibited in all state government buildings under the jurisdiction of the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS). This policy went into effect in October 2014 and is part of the State of Hawaii’s commitment to keep workplaces and public locations smoke-free. The policy sets the tone for private sector ...
Read More E-Cigarettes Prohibited in State Buildings