How healthy are the people in Lewis & Clark County? To answer this question, the Lewis & Clark County Health Department recently released its 2009 Leading Public Health Indicators Report.

The report indicates that people are living longer in Lewis & Clark County. The average life expectancy is 75 years for men and 81 for women.

Population projections indicate that in the year 2030, residents 65 years and older will make up 25% of the county’s population.

Cancer and heart disease continue to remain the leading causes of death.

The county was also ranked 8th highest in Montana for its number of traffic fatalities.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection.

The two most prevalent substance abuse activities among youth are drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.

Melanie Reynolds, County Health Officer, explains, “We look at these statistics very carefully, and we look at the programs that we currently offer at the Health Department, and the activities and strategies that we do to ensure the public health, so what we do is look at these and we can target programs. So we hope it’s not a report that sits on a shelf, but it is one where we actively talk about ways that we might be able to address these issues.”

Full copies of the report can be picked up at the Lewis & Clark County Health Department, or by going to http://www.co.lewis-clark.mt.us/health and clicking on the "2009 Leading Public Health Indicators" link.