Children Healthy People in Action

Legal and policy approaches can be important tools for achieving healthier communities. A new report—The Role of Law and Policy in Increasing the Use of the Oral Health Care System and Services—provides evidence-based information and identifies priority areas that can help communities achieve Healthy People objectives.

Legal and policy approaches can be important tools for achieving healthier communities. The report, The Role of Law and Policy in Achieving the Healthy People 2020 Nutrition and Weight Status Goals of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake in the United States, provides evidence-based information and identifies priority areas that can help communities achieve Healthy People objectives.

Tooth decay (also known as caries or cavities) is one of the most common chronic health conditions affecting children in the United States. American Indian and Alaska Native children have especially high rates of tooth decay; the rate for American Indian and Alaska Native children ages 3 to 5 is 43%—more than 4 times the rate for white children.

Exposure to secondhand smoke contributes to the deaths of 41,000 nonsmoking adults and 400 infants in the United States each year. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at higher risk for serious health conditions, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and respiratory diseases. Smoke-free environments are vital to children's health and well-being, yet close to 40% of U.S. children ages 3 to 11 are exposed to secondhand smoke.