Developed as part of a larger education initiative funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, "Safe Food: It’s up to You" is a food safety curriculum designed specifically for young people. The curriculum is being piloted in food science and nutrition courses at 15 Iowa high schools. Administered entirely over the web (http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/Pages/families/fs/Lesson/ Lessonsfs.html), the curriculum contains four lessons, each followed by an achievement test. Students who successfully complete all four lessons can print a certificate to be signed by their instructor. Lessons include "What’s bugging you?" (foodborne illness), "What are Consumer Control Points?" (safe shopping and food handling), "Where is the Danger Zone?" (places bacteria might be found), and "Who is FAT TOM?" (an acronym of food safety tips). A glossary also is provided.

The National Food Safety Database (http://www.foodsafety.org/index.htm) provides one-stop shopping for food safety information. The site is for all members of the food production system, including consumers, food safety specialists, food processors, retail industry and food handlers, and educators. Information is divided into three categories: consumer related, industry related, and educator/trainer related. The site also can be searched by key word and includes a food safety quiz and frequently asked questions.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has produced a new booklet, Environmental Disease From A toZ. It takes the reader on an illustrated journey through the alphabet, covering a wide range of environmentally induced illnesses from asthma to zinc deficiency. The book gives readers an idea of the diversity of environmental agents one may be exposed to and the diseases that may result. The book is appropriate for a wide variety of audiences, from schoolchildren to adults, and includes suggestions on how the illnesses can be prevented or treated. A free copy is available from NIEHS Office of Communications, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, Attention: John Peterson, Mail Drop EC-12, (919) 541-7860. E-mail requests may be directed to booklet@niehs.nih.gov. Teachers may receive larger quantities.

A new education campaign by the National Cancer Institute focuses on mammography and breast cancer risk. New publications and resources include a pamphlet, "Understanding Breast Changes: The Facts About Breast Cancer and Mammograms," that explains the risk factors for breast cancer and benefits for and limitations of mammography; and "Not just once, but for a lifetime," a publication and bookmark that explain the importance of regular mammograms for women in their 40s and older. Resources for health professionals include "Why Get Mammograms?", a physician’s pad with tear-off fact sheets on mammograms for patients; and "Over 40? Consider Mammograms," a set of five posters each featuring a woman of a different racial/ethnic background. Breast cancer and mammography fact sheets also are available. The new mammography brochures can be ordered by calling NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER. The new information also is available on the NCI web site (http://rex.nci.nih.gov).

A new Dr. Seuss Immunization Campaign is designed to ensure that children receive the complete series of vaccinations on time. The campaign will build on the awareness produced by the Childhood Immunization Initiative. At a national immunization partnership meeting, one of the most recognizable Dr. Seuss characters, the Cat in the Hat, unveiled a limited series of six immunization posters featuring Dr. Seuss characters. The posters will be distributed for display by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to health care providers, medical clinics, community centers, and schools. The six posters each feature a different Dr. Seuss character telling an immunization story in rhyme. For example, Cat in the Hat reminds parents and physicians that "each exam is a chance to bring kids up to date. On routine and catch up, shots that shouldn’t really wait." For more information about immunizations and the diseases they prevent, contact CDC’s toll-free National Immunization Information Hotline at (800) 232-2522 or (800) 232-0233 (Spanish). To view the Dr. Seuss posters, go to the CDC National Immunization Technical Information Service web site at http://www.immunization.org/drseuss/goodnews.html. Questions about using or distributing the posters should be directed to the Community Outreach and Planning Branch, (404) 639-8375.

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Healthy Start grants totaling $50 million to 40 new communities with high infant mortality rates. These new grants raise the number of Healthy Start communities to 60. Healthy Start grants stress personal responsibility, community commitment and involvement, increased access to health and social services, and innovation to curtail infant mortality rates and low birth weight. These communities will use Healthy Start’s nine models to address infant mortality, low birth weight, and other health concerns affecting women, infants, and their families. Models include community-based consortia, outreach and client recruitment, case coordination/case management, family resource centers and clinical services, risk prevention and reduction, service linkages, training and education, and adolescent programs.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases In fall 1998, the American Social Health Association (ASHA) will provide new State-by-State estimates of sexually transmitted disease (STD) incidence and prevalence and costs of adequate STD prevention and control compared to STD treatment costs. ASHA has been awarded a 1-year grant of nearly $100,000 from the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. Because the rates of STDs reported to CDC reveal only a small portion of actual STD prevalence, estimates of STD incidence and prevalence are important to meet the longstanding need for reliable estimates of the numbers of people affected by STDs. Most STDs are symptom-less, so people with STDs often do not seek treatment or may self-diagnose incorrectly. Without comprehensive screening, there is no knowledge of the extent of STD infections. ASHA will convene a panel of experts to develop procedures for estimating incidence and prevalence of the most common STDs and to identify prevention methods on which to base cost estimates. As its next step, the panel will produce cost estimates for implementing these prevention measures in each State and will determine return on investment calculations that reflect the financial savings of prevention over treatment.

The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) has produced a video kit to increase awareness of how HIV/AIDS affects older per-sons. The message targets not only older adults but also families, professionals, and communities. The AARP video kit, "It Can Happen to Me," can be obtained for loan or a $20 purchase by check payable to AARP. Submit requests to AARP, Program Scheduling Office, 601 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20049.

A new Strategizer Technical Assistance Manual on children of alcoholics (COAs) is now available. The Strategizer series is produced by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. The COA manual is an update on the current research on COAs and their families and includes pointers on what coalitions and individuals can do that is helpful to these children. The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) assisted with this publication. Copies are available through NACoA, 11426 Rockville Pike, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20852, (888)554-COAS or (301) 468-0985; fax (301)468-0987; E-mail: nacoa@charitiesusa.com.

Responding to the Challenge of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention: Community Planning Guides for Effective Programs is a series of program development and implementation information guides. Volumes include: I. Understanding the Context of Teen Pregnancy Preven-tion; II. Implementing Effective Sexuality Education; III. Improving Contraceptive Access; IV. Life Options; and V. Community-Wide Strategies. The cost is $15 per volume or $70 for the 5-volume set, plus 20 percent for shipping and handling. To order, contact Advocates for Youth, 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 347-5700; fax (202)347-2263.

The Universal Childbirth Picture Book, now available from the Women’s International Network News, provides pictures for health care workers and educators to use in teaching about conception and normal childbirth. The book, designed for groups and individuals, covers female and male bodies, fertilization, embryonic development, nutrition, pregnancy changes, birthing, nursing, and family planning. A glossary and international resource and reading list also are provided. The book is available in English, French, Spanish, Somali, and Arabic for $7 plus $4 shipping and handling, or $4.20 per copy if purchased in bulk. Write Fran Hosken, Women’s International News Network, 187 Grant Street, Lexington, MA 02173, or call (617) 862-9431.

The emerging infections slide set has been updated. Produced by the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), the 40-slide set is free. To obtain a copy, write to the Office of Health Communications, NCID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-14, Atlanta, GA 30333; fax (404) 639-4194. For more information, call (404) 639-3682.