To many of us, public health is the stuff that volunteers do in third-world countries where epidemics we’ve never heard of make the covers of magazines we don’t read.
We might need a little reminder that public health impacts every one of us — rich, poor and everywhere in between — and has to do with everything from garbage collection to our tap water to our favorite restaurants.
So, it’s a good thing this is Public Health Week in Snohomish County. As former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said, "Health care is vital to all of us some of the time but public health is important to all of us all of the time."
Though many of us may not be aware of all the intricacies of public health, we certainly expect high standards to be met. When West Nile Virus became a big concern, scores of Herald readers wrote in demanding the retention ponds in their neighborhoods be cleaned and maintained by developers. The public smoking issue has taken on a life of its own with people on both sides of the debate making their opinions known on how they want government to deal with the matter and just how dangerous they think it is or isn’t.
Students are weighing the value of vending machines in their schools. Some parents and officials are arguing the need for certain immunizations for small children. And restaurants that don’t meet health codes and inspections make the Local news section of the paper instead of the dining reviews.
The broad issue of public health involves everything from our child-care centers to health-care providers to law-enforcement agencies. Anyone who works to protect our health and safety falls into the category of a public health worker.
This week is a good time to educate yourself on the many public health issues in our area. The Snohomish Health District is providing the community with a free monthly public health education series at its auditorium, 3020 Rucker Ave. If you’re reading this over your healthy breakfast, you can still make this month’s lecture today from noon to 1 p.m. on "Risk factors and adolescence: Development patterns and roles." Next month includes a presentation on "Cleaning house for your health." And in June you can learn about changes in child safety.
For more information about public health issues and the educational series, check out the Snohomish Health District Web site at www.snohd.org.
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