News Releases from Department of Health

Hawaii residents and tourists alike may soon have a new, lower-cost and healthier way to travel while in Hawaii.  They will be able to borrow bikes for short, one-way trips, using bikes at various stations throughout a broad area of Honolulu. The bikeshare system will be implemented by Bikeshare Hawaii, a nonprofit organization created by […]

As Hawaii’s aging population continues to grow, legislators and government agencies continue to face different challenges.  The latest one: A wife is in a community care foster family home paying for her care out of her own pocket or through private insurance, also known as “private pay.” Her husband, who would like to join her […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

DOH began this year’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) phone survey earlier this month. It is the world’s largest ongoing telephone survey of adults and is coordinated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Hawaii Department of Health. The survey covers topics ranging from healthcare access and use of […]

Tobacco use among Hawaii’s public middle and high school students has declined over the past decade, but according to the latest findings of the biennial Hawaii Youth Tobacco Survey, increased use of new tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, water pipes and roll-your-own cigarettes could reverse this positive trend. The Youth Tobacco Survey is conducted […]

Hawaii is #1 in health rankings in the nation for the second consecutive year, according to America’s Health Rankings, the longest running comparative health index of states. The rankings were released in December 2014. America’s Health Rankings, sponsored by United Health Foundation in partnership with American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention, are updated each […]