Summer Safety Tips

As we enjoy longer days and warmer weather, let us also keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

• Be Pool Smart
• Practice Sun Safety
• Prevent Tick-Borne Illnesses
• Prevent Mosquito-Borne Illnesses
• Animal Bites
• See! Be Seen! Pedestrian Safety
• Be Food Safe
• Plan Ahead for Extreme Heat
• Physical Activity is fun and has important health benefits for all ages.

Be Pool Smart

To learn about the signs of drowning, tips to prevent drowning, where to go to learn CPR and more, check out our “Be Pool Smart” brochures. Help us prevent drowning injuries and deaths by printing and sharing these tips with your community.
Prevent Drowning

Practice Sun Safety

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer; it outnumbers all other cancers combined. About, 1 in 5 people in the U.S. will have skin cancer in their lifetime, including people of color. In Suffolk County, about 480 people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. On any day, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Protect yourself and your family from the sun’s harmful rays. Remember, tanned skin is damaged skin.
Sun Safety

Prevent Tick-Borne Illnesses

Ticks can transmit disease, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Powassan virus. Ticks may cause an allergy to meat known as alpha-gal allergy.

Take steps to prevent tick bites and check yourself, your children, and pets for ticks every day, especially if you have been spending time in grassy or wooded areas.
Learn more about ticks and tick-bite prevention.

Prevent Mosquito-Borne Illnesses

Like the birds and bees, mosquitoes are active during the warmer months. Some varieties of mosquito such as the Northern House Mosquito (Culex pipiens-restuans) can cause West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Protect yourself from mosquito bites by staying indoors when mosquitoes are active, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants and using EPA registered repellents.

Reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home by regularly emptying sources of standing water that mosquitoes may use for breeding, such as flowerpots, pet bowls, clogged gutters, etc. Bird baths should be scrubbed clean to remove laid eggs and refilled weekly.
Learn more about mosquitoes and mosquito-bite prevention.

Animal Bites

Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at 631-854-0333, weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

See! Be Seen! Pedestrian Safety

Everyone is a pedestrian. Whether walking on a sidewalk, to a bus stop or through a parking lot, at some point in your travels, you are a pedestrian. To be safe when walking, know the meaning of pedestrian signals, make yourself visible to drivers, avoid dangerous behaviors, and look before you step.

Drivers should always watch for pedestrians, avoid cell phone use, yield to pedestrians at crossings, observe speed limits and avoid aggressive maneuvers.
To learn more, visit New York State Pedestrian Safety .

Be Food Safe

Did you know that it is not safe to eat a hamburger unless it is cooked to a temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit? The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds consumers to avoid foodborne illness by following four easy steps. Learn more here.
Serve Summer Safe with Food Safety Tips from USDA

Plan Ahead for Extreme Heat

During a heat wave, try to stay cool, stay hydrated and stay informed.

• Keep your body temperature cool to avoid heat-related illness.
• Drink more water than usual.
• Stay updated on local weather forecasts so you can plan activities safely when it’s hot outside.
• Check on those most at-risk, such as elderly family members, twice a day.
• For more information, visit the CDC Extreme Heat.

Drivers should always watch for pedestrians, avoid cell phone use, yield to pedestrians at crossings, observe speed limits and avoid aggressive maneuvers.
To learn more, visit New York State Pedestrian Safety .

Physical Activity is fun and has important health benefits for all ages.

Did you know that it is not safe to eat a hamburger unless it is cooked to a temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit? The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds consumers to avoid foodborne illness by following four easy steps. Learn more here.

• Those who are regularly active have a higher chance of living longer than those who are not very active.
• Physical activity can improve brain health and mental wellbeing.
• Students who are physically active tend to have improved grades, higher school attendance, sharper memory, and better concentration.
• Regular physical activity can also help you sleep better and improve your immune system, so you get sick less.
• Exercise can reduce the fall rate by 23% in older adults and significantly reduce the risk of fall injuries.

Let’s get active, Healthy Suffolk! Check out our resources for children, adults, seniors, people who are pregnant, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, residents who are super busy, and outdoor opportunities in Suffolk County. https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Health-Services/Cancer-Prevention-and-Health-Promotion-Coalition/Staying-Active/Outdoor-Activities