Members of the Knox County Teen Advisory Council joined 2,000 youth and adults from across the state for the We are the Majority Rally, a youth-led rally to celebrate the majority of youth that are making positive choices in their lives and do not misuse drugs or alcohol. Students Chloe Merriman, Chloe Mealy, Natalie Baker and Samantha Carwell are pictured with member of the band Pray for Sleep.

The purpose of the DFC Support Program grant is to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies, as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.

In addition, the DFC Support Program grant is also intended to work to reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, reduce substance abuse among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.

The DFC defines youth as those 18 years and younger for the purpose of this grant. In 2014, about 1 in 4 middle school and high school students lived in a community with a Drug-Free Community funded coalition.

Occasionally we get calls asking how to dispose of unused or expired medications. Under Ohio law, health departments cannot accept medications for disposal, only law enforcement agencies can accept items at designated drop off locations. In Knox County, the following locations accept medication pills only:

For small amounts of medications (45 pills or 6 oz. liquid or 6 patches), the health department has FREE drug deactivation bags that's safe, convenient and effective. Once the medication is mixed with warm water in the deactivation bags, they can then be disposed in your regular trash.

Guidelines suggest placing used needles in a household container such as a laundry detergent or bleach bottle, or a sturdy, opaque plastic container with a screw-top lid. When the container is 3/4 of the way full, seal the lid with duct tape, label 'DO NOT RECYCLE' and place container in your regular trash. Instructions on how to do that are available at http://www.epa.ohio.gov/portals/34/document/guidance/gd_462.pdf.

Start Talking! is a program to give parents, guardians, educators and community leaders the tools to start the conversation with Ohio's youth about the importance of living healthy, drug-free lives. www.starttalking.ohio.gov

A source of relatable, reliable information at any stage of their recovery journey. StartYourRecovery.org provides helpful information for people who are dealing with substance use issues - and their family members, friends, and co-workers, too. We know that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges faced by those who misuse alcohol, prescription or illegal drugs, or other substances, and we aim to break through the clutter to help people at any stage of recovery.www.startyourrecovery.org

Take Charge Ohio is an initiative to help use pain medication safely and responsibly to minimize the risk of drug misuse, dependency and addiction. We offer prescribers and healthcare professionals resources and tools to educate patients about the scope of the problem, its impact in Ohio, and how to take action by sharing what they've learned through our free, ready-to-use resources.www.takechargeohio.org

More than 60 years ago, noted social philosopher Sir Geoffrey Vickers said The history of public health might well be written as a persistent redefinition of the unacceptable. This is certainly true when we are dealing with E. coli in a water well, improper food temperatures at a restaurant, too much chlorine in a public pool or the collection of tires in someones backyard. When a situation that affects the health and well being of people is unacceptable, it becomes a public health issue.

Public health issues are in the news every day, whether it be the latest outbreak of avian flu or the elimination of a vaccine-preventable disease. And the work of public health takes place in our community every day -- from investigating a dog bite, testing for radon, inspecting a restaurant or getting a Tetanus shot. Whether we notice or not the work of public health touches us all every day. From No Smoking' signs to immunization clinics, proper sewage disposal to litter prevention, child car safety seats to rabies clinics, public health works to improve the conditions around us and promote healthy behaviors

The job of public health professionals at the Knox County Health Department is to promote health, prevent disease and injury, and to maintain and improve a healthy environment for the protection of all residents of Knox County. We assess, we assure, we promote, we prevent, we protect.... all to help extend the benefits this world has to offer to each of those we serve. It's an honor, a responsibility and some days, a tough job. And we do it gladly - because we are public health.

Yet, public health is also a two way street with input and involvement from the general public and partner agencies that are just as important as the investigations and recommendations made by public health professionals. The more our residents understand public health, the better we can work together to reduce infant mortality and improve infant health, reduce death and illness associated with disease and injury, increase awareness and adoption of healthy lifestyles and to respond effectively to all public health emergencies. We welcome your feedback and comments anytime.

Where and how we live, work and play has a lot to do with how healthy each of us really is. We hope you will find this information on our website useful in your everyday lives and that it will provide resources for keeping you and your family healthy. For now, for the futurethis is public health.