The Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding everyone of the dangers of vaping unregulated substances as it has again received information about young people becoming ill after vaping ‘spice’. Reports have suggested that those affected thought they were purchasing THC or cannabis oil, but they were unknowingly supplied with and had taken the synthetic drug ‘spice’, the effects of which required hospital treatment. All drugs, whether illegal drugs or prescription medication, carry risks. The PHA strongly recommends that you do not take anything unless it has been prescribed to you by a medical

The eight week pre-consultation on suicide prevention and post-vention services being undertaken by the Public Health Agency (PHA) will close on Sunday 11 th April. The PHA is encouraging people to complete the online survey before the consultation closes in order to capture the views about current services, which are under review, from service users, local communities and other organisations delivering services. The online survey is part of an eight week pre-consultation process which opened in February 15 th and also included online engagement events within each Health and Social Care Trust

The ‘Distance Aware’ social distancing campaign recently launched by the Department of Health is being promoted widely in over 500 community pharmacies through the ‘Living Well’ service. Living Well is a programme that provides information and advice to pharmacy customers on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI). The Distance Aware campaign uses a consistent and instantly recognisable symbol, the Distance Aware Shield, to help remind people to maintain social distance

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and the Public Health Agency (PHA) is using this opportunity to raise awareness of signs and symptoms and encourage people to take part in the screening programme when invited. “Over 1,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in Northern Ireland,” said Dr Christine McKee, Public Health Registrar at the PHA. “Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death among people in Northern Ireland. About 1 in 20 people will develop bowel cancer in their lifetime and it is more common in older people, particularly men. It is important that

Visiting a farm is an enjoyable and educational experience for many people, particularly children. However, visiting a farm carries a small risk of catching infection from animals or the environment. As restrictions begin to ease and the weather improves the Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding people of simple steps they can take to keep safe and well. Dr Philip Veal, Consultant in Heath Protection, said: “Farm animals can be the source of several bugs that can be passed from animals to humans and cause illness. Some can be particularly serious for children or pregnant women. “All animals

The non-invasive saliva-based LAMP (Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification) test is designed to find asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases so they can be isolated, along with their contacts, as quickly as possible, therefore reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in schools. The LAMP testing programme began with five pilot schools in February 2021. This has now been rolled out to all special schools and will run until June 2021. The programme is sponsored by the Department of Health and the Department of Education. The Education Authority (EA) and The Public Health Agency (PHA) are

Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties can affect anyone at any stage of their life, so the Public Health Agency (PHA) has released a new animation to raise awareness of this issue. Dysphagia is the medical term for swallowing difficulties. Some people with dysphagia have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can't swallow at all. Michelle Tennyson, Assistant Director for Allied Health Professions (AHP) at the PHA, said: “Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties can occur at any stage of life, and can often occur alongside other conditions, such as prematurity

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging people to find alternative ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and avoid the temptation of meeting up or partying with friends or family. Dr Stephen Bergin, Interim Director of Public Health at the PHA, said: “ After a very tough winter we are all looking forward to nicer weather and brighter days, but we are in a very important moment of the pandemic. After months of home-schooling, isolation from people who we would normally spend time with, and working from home, for many of us it might be tempting to break up the monotony of everyday life on 17 March

The Public Health Agency (PHA) launches new public awareness campaign today (8 th March) to promote awareness of the signs and symptoms of stroke. The campaign will run from 8 th March until 25 th April across TV, radio, digital and outdoor. Stroke is the third most common cause of death and one of the main causes of adult onset disability in Northern Ireland, but early diagnosis improves the chances of a good recovery. In Northern Ireland between April 2019 and March 2020, there were approximately 3,100 patients admitted to hospital with a stroke diagnosis. While the majority of strokes occur