This special topic report examines the prevalence and characteristics of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health problems among juvenile detainees in Maricopa County. The findings come from the Co-occurring Disorder Addendum used during 2007. The findings reveal that almost 30 percent of juvenile detainees were at risk for a co-occurring disorder, and face significantly greater difficulties across a number of critical factors, including incarceration, homelessness, and victimization.

The analysis plan and the format of this report are derived from numerous meetings held over more than an eighteen month span with the AARIN project advisory board, Maricopa County leadership, and representatives from JPD. Following the guidance of the advisory board, the dissemination strategy for the AARIN project shifted from a single, broadly scoped annual summary report supplemented by smaller topic-specific reports into shorter, individual reports tailored to the specific needs and wants of six key county criminal justice agencies. Meetings with JPD representatives regarding their individualized report indicated they would be most interested in a broad analysis akin to the traditional AARIN annual reports. A key modification to this broad traditional analysis strategy, this report compares juvenile detainees in three categories of probation history – never served probation (or not in the past 12 months), served probation in a county other than Maricopa, and served probation in Maricopa County, each defined for either lifetime or the past 12 months, ultimately yielding six analysis categories. Each of the three probation categories are mutually exclusive within a given time period (i.e. lifetime and past 12 months). Given the JPD’s need for the broadly scoped analysis as opposed to a topically-focused and interpretive report, the report here primarily provides analyses across most of the core instrument elements, presented in tabular form, with a list of key findings and highlights.

Information on arsenic exposure around Arizona has been available for several years. It is only recently that people have begun moving into areas where high arsenic levels may affect large numbers of people. Because of these new trends, the ADHS is providing more detailed information to the public on how to protect themselves.

A resident of Wickenburg, Arizona and her husband reported experiencing some adverse health effects that she felt may be attributed to a recent pesticide application to her home. The family requested the Arizona Department of Health Services to evaluate whether the remaining levels of pesticides present in her home would cause any health effects. The resident reported to ADHS that their symptoms continued to worsen over time, and that the chemical continued to pool in their house even after being wiped up several times, so that she and her husband vacated the house. The couple underwent extensive testing, and are receiving oxygen treatment to alleviate their symptoms. No medical records have been submitted to ADHS for review, and it is difficult to conclusively analyze health outcome information as it has been self reported.

In September 2005, some concerned Walker residents contacted the Arizona Department of Health Services in regards to the quality of groundwater in the area. The residents petitioned ADHS to perform well water tests to determine the character of the water, and whether there is any potential health risk associated with consuming or using the water. In response to the concerned community members and in agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ADHS collected water samples from the site and completed a health consultation. This health consultation evaluates if the levels of lead and other metals in the private wells in Walker area pose any adverse health effects.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality asked the Arizona Department of Health Services to evaluate the health threat to residents from exposures to ash fallout from a fire at an asphalt plant located on the Salt River Indian Reservation in Mesa, Arizona. The facility has recently been bought by Vulcan, Inc. The site is located just north of the Salt River between Dobson and Alma School Roads. April 13, 1999.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) requested the Arizona Department of Health Services to determine whether exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in the indoor air of a vacant dry cleaning facility and an attached convenience store posed a health threat to workers renovating the former dry cleaners and the patrons and employees of the convenience store. The former Viking Cleaners operated from 1954 until 2000. The building houses two businesses, Viking Cleaners, which is currently vacant but under renovation, and an attached convenience store that is currently in operation.

The purpose of this document is to summarize the body of environmental health investigation work that has been developed for the airport site. The report includes a summary of previous reports and new data. There is currently no exposure of public health concern. However, no regulation prevents persons from installing private drinking water wells in the contaminated groundwater. Because the pollutants in the groundwater may be of public health concern if it were used for drinking water, the site may pose a potential public health hazard unless actions are taken to prevent such use.

This public health assessment evaluates the potential public health hazard from exposure to contaminated groundwater in the vicinity of the Tucson International Airport. The Tucson International Airport Area superfund site consists of a main plume of contaminated groundwater and three smaller areas of groundwater contamination east of the main plume. This report focuses on one of these areas of contamination called Plume B and evaluates the public health hazard posed by Plume B to residents of the area of south Tucson bounded by Valencia Road, Campbell Avenue, Irvington Road, and 6th Avenue.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency asked the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Health, to provide an evaluation of the health hazards that may result from exposure to soil and soil gas contaminants present on the West-Cap site, located just north of the Tucson International Airport. Improper waste disposal practices from previous industrial activities at the site have resulted in contamination of on-site soil and soil gas. The objective of this health assessment is to assess the potential adverse health impact to on-site workers from exposure to the on-site contaminated soil and soil gas. Community exposures are not presented in this public health assessment.