U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Four Pillars

Healthy Choices

• Tips For Healthy Choices
  • Wash Your Hands
  • Use Safety Belts
  • Reduce or Stop Tobacco Use

One of the most important things individuals and families can do to promote good health is to make smart choices. Avoiding risky behaviors such as using tobacco or drugs, or abusing alcohol - even driving without a safety belt - can save lives and improve health. Behavioral changes reduce the chance of illness or injury; even washing one's hands regularly prevents the spread of many common illnesses and infections.

Tips For Healthy Choices

Wash Your Hands!

Handwashing has been a fundamental factor in preventing the spread of infections. One study of school children found that those who washed their hands four times a day had fewer sick days due to respiratory illness and fewer days lost because of stomach upset.

Use Safety Belts!

Thousands of people needlessly die in traffic accidents yearly because they do not use safety belts. Seat belts are the most effective means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries in a traffic accident. In fact, seat belts save over 10,000 lives in America every year. Appropriate bicycle safety measures could also reduce the 690 fatalities and 51,000 traffic-related injuries that occur every year. Bike helmets reduce head injury risk by 85 percent. These are smart choices Americans can make that prevent injuries and death.

Reduce or Stop Tobacco Use!

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, causing more than 440,000 premature deaths annually during 1995-1999. Smoking can cause chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Smoking has also been linked to cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder. In addition, smoking contributes to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys. Smokeless tobacco and cigars also have deadly consequences, including lung, larynx, esophageal, and mouth cancer. Aggressive and sustained anti-smoking programs prevent and reduce smoking.

• Tobacco Cessation

For more tips on healthy lifestyle choices visit HealthierUS.gov.