This Week's Facts:
-
Health Department Offers
Advice on Flu Season
-
Promote Benefits of Recycling
on November 15
-
Help Patrons "Get Smart"
About Antibiotics
-
CDC Raises Diabetes Awareness
in November
Indiana
General Assembly Reconvenes Tuesday
The Indiana General Assembly
will convene for Organizational Day of the 2011 Session on
Tuesday, November 16, 2010. The Senate will convene at 1:00p.m.
and the House at 1:30 p.m. Indiana citizens can stay informed
and keep track of your
legislators, current issues
and laws.
Friday Fast
Facts
The U.S. Census Bureau released the dataset
American’s Families and Living
Arrangements: 2010 this week, which shows
American men and women are waiting longer to marry. See the
press release
here. Last week, the Census
Bureau released the report
Fertility of American Women: 2008
which shows
Nearly 1 in 3 Unmarried Women Who Give
Birth Cohabit, as stated by its press release.
-------------------------------
Friday Facts Editorial Team:
Katharine Springer
State Data
Center Coordinator
Elisabeth
O’Donnell
Federal Documents Librarian
&
Kim Brown-Harden
State
Documents Coordinator
 
-------------------------------------
Join the
FDLP-IN
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State Health
Department Offers Advice on Upcoming Flu Season
 The
Indiana State Department of Health advises
Hoosiers to
Prepare,
Plan and
Prevent the Influenza
Virus. After last year’s H1N1 epidemic, many people were left
unprepared, ill-informed and afraid of the influenza. The first
step in preparation is to increase knowledge about the
influenza virus and know
whether it is a
pandemic or not. You can
avoid the flu by practicing good health habits such as washing
your hands frequently, covering your mouth when you cough or
sneeze and staying home when you’re sick. See the Indiana
Department of Health’s Influenza
website for more tips. If
you need to find out where you can get vaccinated, the
Google Flu Shot locator
offers a searchable map showing where clinics are
throughout the State. Preparation, Planning and Prevention can
help you and your family stay safe during this year’s flu
season.
Promote Benefits of Recycling on November
15th
 November
15th is America Recycles Day! Since 1997, this has
been a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting
recycling in your community. The America Recycles Day website
has great tips to
organize an event or
participate in one. They
also have information on media resources, toolkits and outside
links. Another great place to visit is the EPA site on
recycling. There they
outline the benefits to recycling as well as the actual process
that a product goes through when it’s recycled. They also have
information on
reducing and reusing,
composting and other things
that you can do to help. Kids can visit
Recycle City from the EPA. It’s full of games,
facts and activities that allow kids to learn the benefits of
recycling and the best ways to do it. Celebrate America Recycles
Day 2010 by doing your part and learning how you can help take
care of the environment!
Help Patrons
"Get Smart" About Antibiotics
  The
Centers for Disease Control has designated
November 15-21st as Get Smart about Antibiotics Week.
Many people think that antibiotics are the cure-all for all
common ailments and diseases such as the cold or flu. In fact,
antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. Many people believe so
strongly in the power of antibiotics that they go to the doctor
expecting to get a prescription and often times they do. In
order to save time from lengthy explanations about antibiotics,
some doctors will go ahead and prescribe the antibiotic at the
disservice to the patient. Taking antibiotics when they are not
really needed can cause more harm than good. Widespread
inappropriate use of antibiotics is fueling an increase in
drug-resistant bacteria. In order to combat this growing
problem, the
Indiana State Department of Health
has an
online and
PDF fact sheet to provide
information about antibiotics and its appropriate use. The
Centers for Disease Control also has
brochures and posters to
help spread the word about antibiotics. With flu season
approaching, now is the time to get smart about taking
antibiotics and protect your health.
CDC Raises Diabetes Awareness throughout
November
 November
is Diabetes Awareness Month. According to the
CDC, one in ten American
adults currently has Diabetes. When someone is diabetic, their
blood glucose levels are above normal. Their body either doesn’t
make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin the way it’s
supposed to. There are three primary types of Diabetes: Type I,
Type II and Gestational Diabetes. Gestational diabetics are
women who become diabetic while pregnant. Type I Diabetes
usually strikes at an early age – it was previously known as
Juvenile-onset – and those who have it rely on daily injections
of insulin or a pump. There is no known cause or way to prevent
this form. Type II Diabetes accounts for 90% to 95% of all
Diabetes cases. While it is not always preventable, there are
many factors involved in its onset. These include obesity, old
age, family history, impaired glucose metabolism or even
race/ethnicity. For more information on each type, see this
fact sheet from the CDC.
Diabetes Awareness Month focuses on Diabetes prevention and
management. This year’s campaign goal is to make people aware of
the impact family history has on Type II and Gestational
Diabetes. The National Diabetes Education Program from the CDC
has a great
site full of information
for contributing to the campaign – they have sample activities,
suggestions for working with the media and even campaign
materials. They also have a
great site on the basics of
the disease. Finally, you may be interested in visiting the
American Diabetes Association
website. They have lots of great tips on living with the
disease, food & fitness and a good general overview.
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