Displaying 11 results for

In-depth analysis on state health policy surrounding immunization. This is part of ASTHO's annual legislative prospectus series.

Good news and bad news on tobacco use: smoking rates are down but e-cigarette use continuing rapid rise among youth. Read how states are combating the problem.

The 2020 holiday season is coinciding with a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases. With great concern that holiday travel to see loved ones may exacerbate community spread of the virus, many states are increasing public health measures before the winter holiday season. As of November 16, 2020, 13 states and D.C. had a quarantine requirement for out-of-state travelers. The U.S. territories also have instituted travel restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Public health agencies are working to reduce dementia risk and to optimize the health and well-being of people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Under the Tenth Amendment, states have the power to protect the health and welfare of their populations, including the authority to implement isolation and quarantine orders to limit the spread of disease. This post is an examination of state public health authority for isolation and quarantine.

States and territories have broad powers to protect public health and safety, including powers to prevent and control the spread of communicable disease typically exercised by state and territorial health departments. This authority is an essential tool in the fight to keep the public safe and healthy.

Recap the state legislative sessions in 2025 thus far, spanning maternal health, infectious disease, and other important public health issues.

As the number of COVID-19 vaccinations grows, some states are looking at their vaccination rates to determine when to loosen measures that mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as venue capacity limits, business closure times, and masking requirements. As vaccinations allow businesses to reopen and customers to return, questions have arisen about whether venues or services—especially those that bring people in close contact for long periods of times—such as retail stores, concert venues, entertainment venues, air travel, cruise ships, etc., can require patrons or customers to verify that they received a COVID-19 vaccine. So far, state policy makers have had mixed views on the issue.

A pressing public health issue before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the need for public health interventions to reduce tobacco use is heightened with a strong association between tobacco use, in all forms, with severe COVID-19 outcomes. Additionally, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., claiming approximately 480,000 deaths each year. Evidence-based policies to reduce tobacco use like raising the age of sale to 21, increasing tobacco pricing, and prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products are common public health strategies enacted through state legislation. As anticipated in ASTHO’s 2021 Legislative Prospectus on E-Cigarettes, states are considering many of these evidenced-based tobacco reduction strategies during the 2021 legislative sessions.

Recording Available: State Health Leaders Convene During ASTHO Deskside Briefing to Rally Behind Chronic Disease Prevention in U.S. ARLINGTON, VA — On June 24, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), convened state health officials for a deskside media briefing focused on the impact of nutrition on chronic disease prevention in the United States. The event highlighted how strategic public health investments can help reduce chronic disease nationwide and help Americans lead healthier lives. “We know chronic disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. It’s something that state health departments have particularly been working on for a long time," says ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, who moderated the discussion. “Obesity makes every chronic disease harder, it just makes life harder. I’m thrilled that this is a national priority. I welcome it,” says James McDonald, MD, MPH, commissioner of health, New York State Department of Health. “I think if we can get our handle on obesity as a nation then this is just one of the ways you can make us all healthier again.” “I am ecstatic that we as a nation and here in the state of Indiana with our Make Indiana Healthy Again plan are talking about nutrition and physical activity,” says Lindsay Weaver, MD, state health commissioner, Indiana Department of Health. “Frankly, it’s going back to the basics. It’s educating new moms and families. It’s working closely with our schools and education.” “Our legislators see the problem in their communities and we are working with them to be a part of the solution. Here in Tennessee, the General Assembly recently passed a law to expand the amount of time children have to be physically active at school,” says Ralph Alvarado, MD, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Health. Dr. Alvarado also discussed valued partnerships with faith-based communities, volunteer Health Councils which exist in every county in Tennessee, and the growing interest in ‘Blue Zone’ concepts -including in many rural parts of the state.” View the recording of ASTHO’s deskside media briefing. ASTHO Press Release Boilerplate website yes

Continuing ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus series—which highlights the top 10 public health policy issues for 2022—this post focuses on mental and behavioral health, as well as supporting the public health workforce.