Before You Eat: Wash Up!

Mom’s advice about washing your hands may finally be starting to get through (it hasn’t always been this way!) At least we’re getting better: A new study shows that 85% of adults washed their hands in public restrooms, compared with 77% in 2007. The 85% total was actually the highest observed since these studies began in 1996. In a separate telephone survey, 96% of adults say they always wash their hands in public restrooms, a percentage that has remained relatively constant over the years. Researcher Judy Daley says, "Although we are happy about the latest results, there is still work to do. Only a minority indicate they wash their hands after coughing or sneezing. Handwashing in this context is particularly important because we now know that many respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses are transmitted primarily by hand contact when contaminated hands touch the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth." Our subscribers all have clean hands and guilt-free hearts because they support the website they turn to EVERY DAY when they fire up their computers. Despite having no advertising on other media, we have 60% more readers and listeners than we did a year ago, through word-of-mouth alone. Now if only more of you would only support us, there’s a chance we might still be here when you turn on your computer tomorrow!