(Hauppauge, NY-April 8, 2014)  Suffolk County has joined New York State and hundreds of communities throughout the nation in observing National Public Health Week, April 7 -13.    This week -- as New York State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, MD, MPH states, “promotes the key components of the state’s Prevention Agenda 2013-2017.”  County Executive Steve Bellone calls attention to some of Suffolk County’s programs that help to protect and improve community health and quality of life.

Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) marks March 24th as World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacteria M. tuberculosis

The Open Meetings or “Sunshine” laws of New York State and Suffolk County give the public the right to attend meetings of public bodies, listen to the debates and watch the decision-making process in action. The laws also require that notice of the time and place of all meetings be given prior to every meeting. 

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Commissioner of Health Services James Tomarken urge residents to step out to “Main Streets Go Blue” in Riverhead next week, beginning Sunday, to view the Academy Awards in grand style, while supporting local businesses and calling awareness to colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S

As Suffolk County prepares for a public hearing on banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21, this action by CVS serves as a reminder that tobacco use is a leading underlying cause of death in America. I commend CVS and many other independent pharmacies that have taken this important step to protect public health, and I hope other pharmacies will consider taking similar action.