Written by Laura Bottom, SIU Center for Family Medicine Warm weather, barbeques and celebrating our independence is all a part of summer. One of the best parts of the 4th of July is watching the sky light up with a beautiful array of colors, sparkles and shapes. Even though the firework displays are stunning, they can be very dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. The Pyrotechnic Use Act (PUA) in Illinois bans the sale, possession, and use of all “consumer fireworks,” such as firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles. Violating the PUA can result in prison time and a hefty fine.

Written by Laura Bottom, SIU Center for Family Medicine Warm weather, barbeques and celebrating our independence is all a part of summer. One of the best parts of the 4th of July is watching the sky light up with a beautiful array of colors, sparkles and shapes. Even though the firework displays are stunning, they can be very dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. The Pyrotechnic Use Act (PUA) in Illinois bans the sale, possession, and use of all “consumer fireworks,” such as firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles. Violating the PUA can result in prison time and a hefty fine.

S ix-week course designed to enhance caregivers' skills

S ix-week course designed to enhance caregivers' skills

S ix-week course designed to enhance caregivers' skills

S ix-week course designed to enhance caregivers' skills

Photo: Drs. Sangita Basnet, Giovanna Caprirolo, Ramzi Nicolas, Douglas Carlson, Robert Abrams and Beau Batton A groundbreaking ceremony for the new HSHS St. John's Hospital Outpatient Center for Women and Children brought out officials, community leaders and construction equipment on June 27. The new four-story facility will house providers from SIU Medicine and the HSHS Medical Group. It will be located across 9th St. from St. John's Children's Hospital and is estimated to be completed in summer 2018. View more pictures from the event on Zenfolio .

Check out our new article! June 26, 2017 The Southern Illinoisan - New think tank at SIU School of Medicine looks for root causes of public health issues that plague southern Ilinois - Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, MA

Could your happy hour beverages be increasing your cancer risk? According to a recent study from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, as little as 10 grams of alcohol per day—that’s a small glass of wine, 8 ounces of beer or a shot of a harder liquor—can increase your risk of breast cancer. The study determined that this seemingly minimal amount increases cancer in premenopausal women by 5% and postmenopausal women by 9%. Dr. Anne McTiernan, the lead author of the report, told CNN , “I was most surprised by the alcohol result, that risk increases at

Could your happy hour beverages be increasing your cancer risk? According to a recent study from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, as little as 10 grams of alcohol per day—that’s a small glass of wine, 8 ounces of beer or a shot of a harder liquor—can increase your risk of breast cancer. The study determined that this seemingly minimal amount increases cancer in premenopausal women by 5% and postmenopausal women by 9%. Dr. Anne McTiernan, the lead author of the report, told CNN , “I was most surprised by the alcohol result, that risk increases at