All Health Departments in the Southeast Region including those here in Coffee County have a program to help pregnant women quit smoking during and after pregnancy. The “Baby and Me Tobacco Free” program is available thanks to funding from the tobacco settlement lawsuit to help pregnant women quit smoking during and after pregnancy for healthier babies. Quitting smoking when you are pregnant is the most important thing you can do to protect your health and the health of your baby. Help is also available at...

As thousands of Tennesseans return from their spring-break beach vacations or plan a summer trip, the Tennessee Department of Health is reminding travelers about the importance of protection from mosquitoes. Of particular concern, said state entomologist Abelardo Moncayo, are those pests that may carry the chikungunya virus, which poses a risk to humans and could have major consequences if it spreads to the United States. “If you go to someplace in the Caribbean or now in Latin America, and you suddenly have fever, joint pain, especially in your hands and feet,” he said, “that is a good indication you...

A rainy evening turned into a scary evening on Monday in Manchester. Five teenagers, all at least 18 years old were at the former Old Stone Fort Golf Course when they apparently decided to cross the Duck River over a man-made bridge to explore a nearby cave. After exploring the five young people were going to cross back over and that’s when they discovered the bridge had been taken over by high water after heavy rain in the area. Manchester Police was called to the scene, but they turned over the situation to Coffee County authorities due to the...

Motlow College theatre department students will present a new, original musical titled “Issues,” beginning Thursday, April 9, in Powers Auditorium inside Eoff Hall on the Moore County campus. The musical was written by Jeannie Gallant, associate professor of communications at Motlow, with the assistance of her students. The 75-minute show will have performances on Thursday and Friday, April 9 and 10, at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday’s show will feature a question and answer session with the class after the performance. The issues that are addressed throughout the musical are bullying,...

Colon cancer, vision problems and myths about “vaping” – a slang term for using e-cigarettes – are featured in a new CDC public health campaign called Tips from Former Smokers. According to CDC senior medical officer Dr. Tim McAfee, the public awareness of smoking-related health damages beyond the heart and lungs is limited, but the risks have been proven scientifically. He says vaping is being aggressively marketed as a way to help smokers quit. So far research shows it doesn’t help. McAfee also cites research showing that reducing the amount of traditional smoking by using e-cigarettes doesn’t help, either....

Powdered alcohol, marketed under the name Palchhol, was recently approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for sale in the United States. It is a powder that is packaged in a 4-by-6-inch pouch, to which water can be added to produce an instant alcoholic beverage. A bill currently making its way through the Tennessee General Assembly would ban sale of the product in the state. Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves says he hopes the ban will take place in Tennessee. While proponents of its sale point out that this new product will be useful for purposes...