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sale of e-cigarettes and herbal hookah products to minors under age
18. Mayor Fischer has proposed legislation to enact such a ban with
Metro Council members Vickie Aubrey Welch, Mary Woolridge,
and Marilyn Parker sponsoring the ordinance.
The report recommends increasing smoking-cessation services
for expectant parents, and expanding smoke-free areas to include
public and private rental housing and such outdoor public spaces
as playgrounds, spraygrounds and swimming pools.
While reducing smoking and obesity are absolutely essential to
improving health in Louisville, other goals of Healthy Louisville
2020 are also important, including the reduction of Louisville’s
infant mortality rate from 7.5 to 6.75 per 1,000 live births, improving mental health, reducing substance abuse, and making strides
in educational attainment and other social determinants of health.
Healthy Louisville 2020 strives to increase the percentage of Louisville adults covered by health insurance through outreach to implement the Affordable Care Act. Furthermore, its wide-ranging goals
aim to improve air quality, and to lower the rates of teen pregnancy
and new HIV infections.
Making Louisville a healthier city over the next six years cannot
be done by government alone.
Healthy Louisville 2020 is a shared community agenda to guide
behavior and decision making for residents, community organizations, academic partners, business leaders, and the faith based
community, as well as for city officials. The plan is designed to
encourage collaboration across all parts of the community, to empower individuals toward making informed health decisions, and
to measure the impact of preventive programs.
Later this year, we will also launch the Healthy Louisville community dashboard. The on-line tool will allow us to track our progress
toward achieving our health goals and will also serve as a way for
community partners to communicate their ideas for improving
community health.
The entire Healthy Louisville 2020 report is available at
louisvilleky.gov/health. LM
Note: Dr. Nesbitt, a family physician, is the director of the Louisville
Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness.
Healthy Louisville 2020 Goals
Access to Health care
Mental and Behavioral Health
Goal: All Louisville Metro residents will have health insurance
coverage and a medical home.
Goal: Improve the mental and emotional well-being of
Louisville Metro residents.
Cancer Prevention and Screening
Obesity Prevention
Goal: Decrease the incidence and death rates for all cancers in
Louisville Metro.
Goal: Reduce the proportion of Louisville Metro residents who
are overweight /obese.
Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening
Oral Health
Goal: Prevent, detect, and reduce risk factors that cause
diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke among Louisville
Metro residents.
Goal: Improve the oral health of Louisville Metro residents by
reducing tooth decay and gum disease.
Healthy Homes and Healthy Neighborhoods
Public Health Infrastructure
Goal: Reduce the prevalence of and death rate related to
tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in Louisville
Metro.
Goal: Ensure LMPHW has the infrastructure to provide
Louisville Metro residents’ public health services at an optimal
level on a daily basis, as well as during emergencies.
Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies
Social Determinants of Health
Goal: Improve the health and well-being of mothers and
babies in Louisville Metro.
Goal: Create social and physical environments that promote
good health for all Louisville Metro residents.
HIV Prevention and Screening
Substance Abuse
Goal: Reduce human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) infection
among Louisville Metro residents.
Goal: Reduce the number of Louisville Metro adults and youth
engaging in risky behaviors such as binge drinking and drug
abuse.
Injury and Violence Prevention
Goal: Decrease the prevalence of violence and unintentional injuries in Louisville Metro.
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