County health department leaders from across western Iowa are getting a briefing this afternoon from their state chief. Iowa Public Health Director Stephen Gleason says he’s updating the county leaders on a variety of new initiatives. One is the anti-smoking programs that will be paid for by nine-point-three million dollars in state tobacco settlement money.Dr. Gleason says he also wants to update western Iowa’s public health leaders on the state’s environmental health initiatives. Gleason says there are currently no environmental health experts who can advise community leaders in times of environmental catastrophes.Gleason says he’s not just in Council Bluffs today to provide a briefing, he wants feedback.Gleason is meeting today with county leaders from: Adair, Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Montgomery, Monona, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties. He plans to visit eastern Iowa for a similar update later in the summer.
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