The summer holidays are finally here, with plenty of concerts and festivals lined up for the coming months, so the Public Health Agency (PHA) is advising people not to gamble with their health through drug and alcohol use. Owen O’Neill, the PHA’s Lead on Alcohol and Drugs, said: “Some people will have a lot drink to while out enjoying themselves and they may also choose to take drugs, putting themselves at risk. The reality is that festivals are not a good place to take drugs for the first time.”

Homes in west Belfast have been fighting fuel poverty by learning more about how to make their homes more energy efficient. The Public Health Agency (PHA) teamed up with National Energy Action (NEA) and the Whiterock & Westrock Residents’ Association to tackle the problem in the area by offering advice on how to insulate homes better, cut costs by shopping around for fuel and best access grants, services and benefits. One resident found that they were eligible for an additional annual £5,500 in employment and support allowance paid by the Social Security Agency.

“THE MORE YOU KNOW THE MORE YOU SEE” A Safeguarding Board public awareness campaign to tackle the issue of Child Sexual Exploitation in NI has begun. The campaign The More You Know, The More You See aims to increase public awareness around this form of child sexual abuse by targeting members of the public, including key groups, who may have the opportunity to recognise Child Sexual Exploitation and take action if they have concerns.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) Health and Social Care Staff Forum has won the Social Partnership Forum award for partnership working with trade unions at the UK-wide Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) 2014 awards.

As Northern Ireland schoolchildren get ready for the summer holidays, the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are reminding parents to ensure that their children are protected from skin damage that may result from sun exposure.

Exams are almost over for thousands of students – time for a welcome break and relaxation. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is also encouraging parents to use this opportunity to discuss the subject of alcohol use with their children. Many young people will be thinking about how to celebrate the end of exams and this provides a natural opportunity for parents to start a discussion about alcohol use.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has been supporting Community Relations Week by holding a healthy eating and cookery masterclass to celebrate cultural diversity. Members of ethnic minority communities brought together their healthy recipes in a workshop at Ballymoney Community Resource Centre, to share their cultural origins and food. The event was organised in partnership with the Networks Involving Communities in Health Improvement (NICHI), the Ballymoney Resource Centre and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT).

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging all men aged 65 and over to seriously consider taking up the offer of having Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening. The aorta is the main artery that supplies blood to your body. It runs from your heart down through your chest and abdomen (belly). As some people get older, the wall of the aorta in the abdomen can become weak and balloon out to form an aneurysm, rather like a bulge in a worn tyre. This is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

The Food Standards Agency and safefood are urging the public to stop washing raw chicken The UK-wide research, launched today to mark the start of Food Safety Week, (June 16-22) shows that while 90% of people in Northern Ireland are familiar with the names of other bacteria like salmonella and E.coli, only 19% had ever heard of campylobacter (cam-pie-lo-bac-tor), which is commonly found in raw chicken.

How public health innovations, research and practice meet the diverse needs of our population will be the focus of the Public Health Agency’s (PHA) Annual Scientific Conference, taking place today [16 June]. Some people find it more difficult to enjoy their full health and minority groups can experience poorer health outcomes and have significantly lower access to services, so understanding the distribution of determinants of health within these groups is essential to reduce health inequalities.