An anti-smoking campaign proposed by New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene commissioner Thomas Farley would include signs graphically depicting the dangers of tobacco use on signs posted at the cash registers of every store in the city that sells cigarettes, the New York Daily News reports.

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) has approved a measure that would require hospitals in the state to notify emergency service organizations when a patient is diagnosed with an infectious disease, the Norwalk Hour reports.

The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced plans to launch a comprehensive campaign designed to curb HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Oakland, Calif., the Washington Post reports.

The Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER) consortium has released a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines strategies aimed at helping hospitals prepare for and respond to large-scale emergencies, AHA News Now reports.

Four Nashville neighborhoods that had previously been identified as food deserts are benefiting from new farmers markets established through the Veggie Project, the Examiner reports.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have announced that the influenza H1N1 virus has now infected as many as 1 million Americans—including 6 percent of some urban populations—with an increasing percentage of cases involving hospital stays, the Associated Press reports.

A new analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that many individuals fail to undergo HIV testing until late in the course of the infection, Reuters reports.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a Web site designed to help employers develop and launch obesity prevention programs, Health Data Management reports.

A one-year-old New York City initiative has boosted HIV/AIDS testing rates by 28 percent among Bronx residents, United Press International reports.

The Joint Commission released a guide designed to help health care facilities increase employees' influenza vaccination rates, AHA News Now reports.

The National Minority Quality Forum has launched an interactive Web-based map that details county-by-county HIV/AIDS rates in the United States, the Associated Press reports.

The Rhode Island General Assembly is considering a measure that would require insurers to cover the cost of all smoking cessation aids and increase the amount of cessation counseling insurers must cover, the Providence Journal reports.

A coalition of health experts has penned a letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to create the Presidential Commission on Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives to address the nation's obesity epidemic, United Press International reports.

President Barack Obama has signed a bill that grants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unprecedented regulatory oversight of tobacco products, the Associated Press reports.

A report in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report suggests that approximately one-half of all health care personnel (HCP) infected with H1N1 influenza acquired the virus in a health care setting and failed to use all recommended forms of personal protective equipment, Modern Healthcare reports.

New York City officials have announced plans for a financial incentives program designed to attract full-service grocery stores to underserved areas of the city, the New York Times reports.

Maine Gov. John E. Baldacci (D) has signed three bills aimed at curbing the state's obesity rate, the Bangor Daily News reports.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will leverage the expertise of the Boston-based disaster training facility DelValle Institute to update a teaching blueprint used by emergency systems nationwide to improve terrorist attack response, the Boston Globe reports.

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report suggests that the majority of U.S. government agencies are unprepared to protect their workforce in the event of a large-scale pandemic outbreak, Reuters reports.

A report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report finds that poultry was the most commonly identified cause of food-borne disease outbreaks (FBDO) in 2006, the New York Times reports.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has launched a campaign to distribute free smoking-cessation kits to county residents, the Torrance Daily Breeze reports.

Congress has approved a measure that will grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) power to regulate the sale and marketing of tobacco products, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Health officials in Los Angeles County have launched a campaign that will use at-home, mail-in test kits to help better identify and treat county residents who have sexually transmitted diseases, the Associated Press reports.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, the first flu pandemic in 41 years, the Associated Press reports.

A House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health has approved a measure that would grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) greater oversight of food manufacturing and processing facilities, CQ Today reports.

Several U.S. chain restaurant corporations have agreed to support legislation that would establish uniform requirements for calorie and nutrition labeling on restaurant menu boards, Reuters reports.

President Obama's plans for overhauling the U.S. health care system are expected to include several initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of chronic diseases and improving the overall health of Americans, Politico reports.

The Howard County Chamber of Commerce in Maryland has announced plans to join with the Horizon Foundation to launch a program aimed at recognizing employers that have implemented comprehensive workplace wellness programs, the Baltimore Sun reports.

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to release a guide for employers seeking to implement workplace wellness programs, Business First of Louisville reports.

A study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Consumer Affairs suggests that college-age smokers may require multiple strategies and quit attempts to successfully squash the habit, United Press International reports.

A new computer simulation system may help cities better prepare medical responses and emergency procedures for a large-scale disaster or public health emergency, United Press International reports.

A new analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Biosecurity suggests that, although the United State's response to the recent H1N1 flu outbreak has been largely effective, several significant issues must be addressed to ensure future preparedness, Bloomberg News reports.

A study published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that a decline in movies portraying cigarette smoking may be responsible for a drop in adolescent smoking rates, CNN Health reports.

The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Tobacco Control and Behavioral Health Prevention programs are introducing a campaign aimed at limiting youth access to tobacco and alcohol, Capital City Weekly reports.

A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) finds that, although smoking rates in the United Sates have dipped slightly since 2006, alcohol and drug use rates have remained stagnant, USA Today reports.

A researcher at the Lexington-based University of Kentucky's College of Public Health has received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a five-year, community-based participatory research program aimed at preventing and treating cancer, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) officials have announced that a tobacco cessation program launched in 2006 by the state's MassHealth Medicaid program reduced smoking rates by 26 percent among beneficiaries, the Boston Business Journal reports.

Several federal lawmakers and anti-smoking groups are calling for electronic cigarettes, which have experienced a surge in popularity as more states and localities implement smoking bans and increase tobacco taxes, to be removed from the market, the Wall Street Journal reports.

A study appearing in the June issue of the American Journal of Medicine suggests that the number of Americans who engage in healthy lifestyle habits has significantly declined over the past 20 years, resulting in higher obesity rates and an increased risk of chronic disease, Reuters reports.

As the nation's reliance on cars for daily transportation grows, research on the subject suggests such dependence on vehicles may have a negative impact on the health of the general public, Reuters reports.

Nebraska on June 1 became the 16th U.S. state to implement a law prohibiting smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars statewide, KOLNKGIN.com reports.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has introduced a draft bill that would increase the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) oversight of the nation's food safety system, the Washington Post reports.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) has announced plans to introduce federal legislation aimed at improving the nation's response to food-borne illness outbreaks, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune reports.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 31 will observe the 22nd annual World No Tobacco Day, NBC Dallas Fort-Worth reports.

A coalition of health groups has launched a campaign aimed at discouraging the movie industry from depicting tobacco use in movies, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

A study appearing in a recent issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that a nurse-led weight management program may be as effective at helping individuals maintain weight loss as an intensive program involving dieticians and exercise trainers, Reuters reports.

A meta-analysis published in the May 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that computer- or Web-based smoking cessation programs can effectively aid smokers in their efforts to quit, United Press International reports.

A study presented recently at the international conference of the American Thoracic Society suggests that a comprehensive community-based lifestyle intervention program can reduce the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and improve the overall health of participants, HealthDay News reports.

The White House Food Safety Working Group has launched a Web site to help inform the public about its progress toward improving the nation's food safety system, United Press International reports.

California-based Kaiser Permanente is participating in a series of initiatives aimed at expanding the scope of farmers markets and introducing the community to healthy food and proper nutrition, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Massachusetts General Hospital has launched a disease surveillance system that will support the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's (MDPH) efforts to monitor potentially significant communicable disease outbreaks, Healthcare IT News reports.

The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee has approved legislation that would ban smoking in the state's bars and casinos, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded $2 million to expand the Project HEALTH program, AHA News Now reports.

New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) has reintroduced legislation aimed at reducing the nation's obesity epidemic, the Associated Press reports.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) have reintroduced the Menu Education and Labeling Act (MEAL Act), which would require fast-food restaurants to post calorie content information, among other requirements, on menu boards, the Los Angeles Times reports.

A study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that e-mail reminders about diet and physical activity may prompt individuals to make healthy lifestyle improvements, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Merck Company Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck & Co., has announced the launch of an initiative designed to improve diabetes care in Camden, N.J, the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reports.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded $1.79 billion to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to improve access to health care and medication for medically underserved individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

President Obama has appointed New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CQ HealthBeat reports.

Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Mass., has awarded $50,000 to 13 community projects aimed at promoting health awareness in the area, The Republican reports.

Michigan has announced plans to expand its electronic childhood immunization registry to include obesity rates, Government Health IT reports.

A study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that media campaigns that present the tobacco industry negatively may serve as a powerful intervention to reduce youth smoking rates, United Press International (UPI) reports.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health has announced that the state's adult smoking rate has fallen from the highest rate in the nation to third highest, behind those of West Virginia and Indiana, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.

The Massachusetts Public Health Council has approved a measure requiring restaurant chains to display the calorie counts of all items on menus, including drive-through menu boards, effectively creating the nation's strictest statewide menu labeling rules, Reuters reports.

The Wisconsin and North Carolina state Legislatures have approved measures that would impose statewide bans on smoking in all restaurants and bars, the Associated Press (AP) reports.