Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion
See Public Health Differently
Public health enhances quality of life in Montana by supporting healthy living in your community. From ensuring tobacco-free public spaces to helping health care providers improve patient care, it touches everyone in Montana – from birth to death. Our Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau is working for you.
In May be Air Aware
Health in the 406 recognizes Air Quality Awareness Week, May 4–8, 2026, and World Asthma Day on May 5, highlighting the importance of clean air for preventing and managing chronic conditions. Join us in being “Air Aware and Prepared” by taking steps to reduce exposure to air pollution and support lung health across Montana.
Breathing in dirty air for a long time can be very dangerous for your body. Scientists track a specific type of pollution called PM2.5. These are tiny bits of dust, dirt, and liquid that are so small you can't even see them. In 2019, this kind of pollution was linked to over 4 million deaths around the world.
Because these particles are so small, they can travel deep into your lungs, causing inflammation and enter your blood. This causes several problems:
- Breathing Issues: It makes it harder to breathe and can make chronic diseases like asthma much worse.
- Long-term exposure can also lead to type 2 diabetes and raises the risk of related problems like chronic kidney disease.
- Heart Problems: It can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and irregular heartbeats.
While air pollution is bad for everyone, two groups of people need to be extra careful:
- Children: Their bodies and lungs are still growing.
- Older people: They often have weaker immune systems, making it harder for their bodies to fight off the damage caused by pollution.
Learn how to protect your indoor air and stay healthy during poor air quality at airquality.mt.gov and hear more on Talking Health in the 406 episodes #53 and #41.
To learn more about asthma, diabetes, and heart disease, visit:
