TIP OF THE MONTH

Smoking Linked to Lost Productivity

Cigarette smoking in the United States results in an estimated 443,000 premature deaths and$193 billion in direct health-care expenditures and productivity losses each year, according to newly released data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  In 2007, nearly 20 percent of adults in the United States were current smokers.  Among states, current smoking prevalence was highest in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Oklahoma.  The lowest were Utah, Connecticut, and California. 

 For more information on smoking cessation, please call Dan Schroeder or Ami Boley at 419-226-9085

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HOT TOPIC

Substance Spotlight - Marijuana

Drug name: dope, pot, reefer, joint, smoke weed
What to look for: plastic baggies, rolling paper, “roach” clips, odor of burnt rope
Physical symptoms: altered perception, dilated pupils, lack of concentration, craving for sweets, increased appetite, laughter
Damage: psychological dependence, increased heart rate, impaired short-term memory, anxiety, lung damage, possible psychosis with chronic use

Substance & Detection Window:

11-Nor-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid
Urine: occasional use: 1 – 3 days; habitual/ chronic use: up to 30 days
Hair: up to 90 days

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
Hair: up to 90 days
Oral Fluid: detects for less than 24 hours after use

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WCORHA UPDATE

30-hour OSHA General Industry Course

WCORHA is tentatively planning a 30-hour OSHA General Industry course for August or September. If anyone in your organization is interested,

please call Dan Schroeder at 419-226-9851 or email dfschroeder@health-partners.org

We need to verify the level of interest for this course before finalizing plans

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WELLNESS UPDATE

Struggling to keep your organization’s health care costs in line?

A comprehensive worksite health promotion program may be the answer. These programs can provide a significant return on investment by:

• Reducing health care and insurance costs

• Decreasing absenteeism

• Increasing productivity and performances

• Reducing illness and disability days

• Improving morale

But there’s a catch---you need to match the programs to your employees’ health problems.

WCORHA can offer a comprehensive health risk assessment (HRA) that will help you take the first step in implementing a health promotion program. Please call Dan Schroeder at 419-226-9851 or Ami Boley at 419-584-0398 for more information.

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OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE UPDATE 

Swine Flu – Are Employers Liable for Exposures at Work?

The swine flu outbreak has thrust public health, occupational medicine and disease management specialists into the spotlight nationally and at the local level, and the glare is not likely to diminish any time soon. Click here for complete article, reprinted with permission from NAOHP

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