Ask CDC - Injury, Violence, & Safety
If you think you may have been exposed to asbestos, you should tell your doctor, even if you don’t feel sick. Most people don’t show signs or symptoms of asbestos-related disease for 10 to 20 years or more after exposure. You should also:
- Quit smoking if you are a smoker, and
- Get regular influenza (flu) and pneumonia vaccines.
If you think you may have been exposed to asbestos in your home, contact
- Your state or local health department, and
- The regional office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA will give you information about:
- Testing your home for asbestos, and
- Finding a trained professional to remove or contain the fibers.
CDC Resources
Public Health Statement for Asbestos
NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Asbestos
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Asbestos
External Resources
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact SheetsCdc-pdfExternal
State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
EPA Regional Offices and Hotline NumbersExternal
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
If you feel your landlord, property owner, or builder has not been responsive to your concerns about mold, you should contact your local board of health or your local housing authority. Issues about mold generally fall under state and local, not federal, jurisdiction. These issues can include applicable codes, insurance, inspection, and legal issues.
You could also review your lease or building contract. You can learn more about local codes and laws and your legal rights by talking with local or state government agents, your insurance company, or a lawyer.
CDC does not have enforcement power in such matters. CDC also cannot provide you with personalized advice. You can contact your county or state health department about mold issues in your area and to learn about what mold assessment and remediation removal services it may offer. You can also contact your state’s indoor air quality program.
CDC Resources
Basic Facts: Molds in the Environment
External Resources
If you have a mold problem in your home, talk to your:
- Property owner,
- Landlord, or
- Builder.
If you don’t get a response, contact your:
- Local board of health, or
- Housing authority.
Applicable codes, insurance, inspection, legal, and similar issues about mold generally fall under state and local (not federal) jurisdiction.
CDC is not a regulatory or enforcement agency for environmental health issues. CDC cannot provide legal advice or a legal opinion. CDC relies on its environmental public health partners at the local and state levels to address and solve these types of problems.
For more information, find your state or local health department.
CDC Resources
Indoor Air Quality Information: Indoor Air Quality State Map
External Resources
If you are worried that there may be mold in your workplaceExternal, contact the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Employers, employees, or union officials can request a NIOSH health hazard evaluation. If a field evaluation site visit is conducted, NIOSH will evaluate the current workplace conditions and employees’ health concerns and make recommendations on how to reduce or eliminate any identified hazards.
If NIOSH does not conduct a site visit, NIOSH will contact management and employees, by phone and email, to collect information. NIOSH will send a letter to the employer or building manager with information about the indoor environmental quality concerns and provide recommendations.
For more information about NIOSH health hazard evaluations, visit the NIOSH website or call 1-800-232-4636.
CDC Resources
Health Hazard Evaluations
https/www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/default.html
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-102/
Workplace Safety and Health Topics: Indoor Environmental Quality
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/default.html
Indoor Air Quality Information: Indoor Air Quality State Map
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/indoor_air.htm
External Resources
Safety and Health Topics: Indoor Air Quality
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/indoorairquality/index.htmlExternal
A Brief Guide to Mold in the Workplace
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib101003.htmlExternal
Indoor Air Quality
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/MoldExternal
Mold
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.htmlExternal
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/indoor-air-quality-tools-schools-action-kitExternal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) State Offices
https://www.osha.gov/html/RAmap.htmlExternal
OSHA Complaint Form
An occupational physician can help you recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from workplace exposures.
You can find an occupational physician using the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) Clinic DirectoryExternal. Additional online resources include:
- American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) WebsiteExternal
- American Medical Association (AMA) DoctorFinderExternal
If you have any more questions or concerns, you can also contact your state health department.
CDC Resources
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
External Resources
AOEC Clinic Directory (Not all states are included in directory)
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
1-888-347-AOEC (1-888-347-2632)
http://www.aoec.org/directory.htmExternal
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
1-847-818-1800
http://www.acoem.org/External
DoctorFinder
American Medical Association
https://apps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder/home.jspExternal
If you have a poison emergency, and the victim has collapsed or is having trouble breathing, call 911.
If you have a poison exposure or a suspected poisoning and the victim is alert, call Poison ControlExternal. The nationwide, toll-free number for poison control centers is 1-800-222-1222.
Try to have the following information ready:
- The person’s age and estimated weight,
- The container or bottle of the poisonous product, if available,
- The time of the poison exposure, and
- The address where the poisoning occurred.
Follow the instructions from the emergency operator or poison control center.
Poison control agents can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they can:
- Help you with a poison emergency,
- Answer questions about a certain poison, and
- Tell you about poison prevention.
CDC Resources
Medication Safety Program: Put Your Medicines Up and Away and Out of Sight
External Resources
American Association of Poison Control Centers
1-800-222-1222
Drugs are the most common cause of poisoning in adults. This includes both legal and illegal drugs.
In drug-related suicides, the most commonly used are psychoactive drugs. This includes medications used to help people sleep and to treat depression.
Prescription opioids are commonly involved in unintentional and undetermined poisoning deaths. From 1999-2016, more than 350,000 people died from an overdose involving an opioid, including prescription and illegal opioids (like heroin).
If you have a poison emergency, call poison control. The nationwide toll-free number for poison control centers is 1-800-222-1222.
Poison Control agents can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they can:
- Help you with a poisoning emergency,
- Answer questions about a certain poison, and
- Tell you about poison prevention.
CDC Resources
Injury Prevention and Control: Data and Statistics: Welcome to WISQARS
Information for Patients on Prescription Opioids
Injury and Violence Prevention Podcasts
External Resources
American Association of Poison Control Centers
1-800-222-1222
http://www.aapcc.org/External
Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2017, and it continues to be a serious public health problem that can have lasting devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities. While its causes are complex and determined by multiple factors, the goal of suicide prevention is to reduce factors that increase risk (i.e. risk factors) and increase factors that protect people from suicidal thoughts and behaviors (i.e. protective factors).
Suicide and other forms of violence can be can be addressed through risk and protective factors at all levels of society, from the individual, family, and community levels to the broader social environment.
For more information on suicide prevention, visit CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention website.
If you are experiencing crisis or emotional distress, call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or visit the National Suicide Prevention LifelineExternal website to chat with a counselorExternal.
CDC Publications
CDC’s Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policies, Programs, and PracticesCdc-pdf
CDC’s Preventing Multiple Forms of Violence: A Strategic Vision for Connecting the DotsCdc-pdf
Preventing Suicide Fact Sheet, 2018Cdc-pdf
Vital Signs Fact Sheet: Suicide, 2018Cdc-pdf
CDC Resources
Preventing Suicide: A Comprehensive Public Health Approach
External Resources
Programs and Practices: Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)External
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent SuicideExternal
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
National Strategy for Suicide PreventionExternal
HHS
Preventing Suicide: A Global ImperativeExternal
World Health Organization
National Suicide Prevention LifelineExternal
HHS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Be the One to Save a LifeExternal
HHS, SAMHSA