Santa Cruz glows in health rankings
Santa Cruz County attributes its place among the healthiest counties in California in the 2017 County Health Rankings to its picturesque surroundings and the fact it has more state parks than any other county in California.
The county ranked 16th of 57 counties in 2017, down from 13th last year.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the report today placing Santa Cruz County among the 58 California counties for both health outcomes and health factors.It’s based on premature mortality – before the age of 75, based on data from 2012 to 2014.
County of Santa Cruz Communications Manager Jason Hoppin said living in Santa Cruz County makes it easier to be active.
“Pleasure Point Santa Cruz attracts senior surfers and there’s a lot of outdoor activity with the beautiful surrounds making it easier for older residents to get outdoors,” Hoppin said.
The report lauded the Santa Cruz County community’s ongoing efforts to improve public health and health care throughout Santa Cruz County. The county was highly ranked when it comes to factors such as low smoking and obesity rates, diabetes prevention and medical care.
Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency runs a tobacco prevention program. It’s Health Educator, Andrea Silva Solano says while great strides in curtailing smoking rates have been made, there’s still a lot of work to do.
In the past several years, The Tobacco Education Program has worked hard to protect the community from the dangers of second-hand smoke by enacting strong smoke-free air and tobacco control policies. As a result, Santa Cruz County residents and visitors enjoy smoke-free beaches, parks as well as many outdoor areas such as Pacific Avenue, the wharves and The Esplanade.
Diners now also enjoy smoke-free dining in all outdoor dining establishments in the City and County of Santa Cruz.
“Tobacco Retail Licensing has been an effective tool to reduce the illegal sales of tobacco to minors by encouraging responsible tobacco retailing and discouraging violation of tobacco related laws. Public awareness campaigns, cessation programs, and local regulations have all contributed to the increasing drop in smoking rates in the U.S. and California. Santa Cruz County has been a leader in this regard and has witnessed the success locally,” Solano said. She said the local adult smoking rate is 13.5%, slightly higher than the State rate of 12.7% The percentage of youth who use any tobacco is 14.8% The County has also enacted SNAP_Ed, a program designed to teach good nutritional practices. “We show how to make their food dollars stretch further, and about physical activity generally. Our local SNAP-Ed works to engage the community through nutrition education in qualifying schools and neighborhoods, promotes healthy corner markets and physical fitness activities,” she said.
