The 2025 Texas Injury Prevention Conference took place November 4-5, 2025. We want to thank everyone who attended and participated in the conference and made it a success! 

Post-conference resources will be available on the conference website until February 27, 2026. Sign up for the Injury Prevention Unit newsletter to stay updated on injury prevention-related topics all year long.

February 1-7, 2026, is National Burn Awareness Week.

Published 02/02/2026

During National Burn Awareness Week, we want to highlight the importance of safety practices to prevent burns.  The American Burn Association (ABA) provides everyday burn prevention tips, including:

• At-home Cooking Burns
  • At-home cooking burns occur when cooking and could include injury from grease splatters, steam, touching a hot surface or an open flame, etc.
  • Cook when you’re awake, not drowsy from medicine or alcohol.
  • Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling,
  • Clean the stove, oven, and exhaust fan to stop grease buildup.
• Non-fire Cooking Burns
  • Non-fire cooking burns happen from contact with hot objects, food, or liquids.
  • Keep hot foods and liquids away from the table and counter edges.
  • Create a “kid free zone” at least three feet around the stove and places where hot food or drinks are prepared or carried.
  • Use oven mitts or potholders and turn pot handles inward so they’re harder to bump.
• Contact Burns
  • Contact burns happen when the skin touches something hot, including the pavement, a hot pan, or an appliance.
  • Remember to always supervise children around hot objects. Children under five make up approximately one third of contact burns.
  • Pavement can reach 125°F even on a mild 77°F day – wear shoes on hot pavement or sand. Keep pets off hot surfaces, too.
  • Turn off heating pads and electric blankets before sleeping.

Find additional burn prevention resources and learn about burn first aid on the American Burn Association website.

February is American Heart Month.

Published 02/02/2026

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups. In 2022, one in every five deaths in the United States was caused by heart disease.”

Taking preventative steps can reduce heart disease deaths!

Million Hearts encourages following the ABCS of heart health.

• A: Take aspirin as directed by your health care professional.
• B: Control your blood pressure.
• C: Manage your cholesterol.
• S: Don’t smoke.

Beyond these preventative steps, it’s important to be prepared for cardiac emergencies. Both adults and children can face a cardiac emergency. The American Heart Association reports that in the U.S., over 350,000 cardiac arrets happen outside of a hospital. Most happen at home. Of those, more than 23,000 are children. Only 10% of adults and children experiencing cardiac arrests survive.

However, by giving someone CPR, you can double or triple their chances of survival.

Be prepared. Find CPR training in your community.

Now Available - Community-based Overdose Reporting Tool

Published 01/15/2026

Texas Overdose Data to Action (TODA) in collaboration with UTHealth Houston announces the Community-based Overdose Reporting Tool. Anyone can use this tool to report suspected drug poisonings. The report is anonymous. Reporting helps identify key strategies for fighting drug poisoning deaths in Texas. Go to the Community-based Overdose Reporting Tool and select the option that best fits your circumstances.

Questions? Email us at toda@dshs.texas.gov for additional information and resources.

Winter Weather Driving Tips

Updated 01/05/2026

Winter weather can cause dangerous driving conditions. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), North and West Texas experience the heaviest snowfalls, extreme white-outs, or icy road and bridge conditions. However, no matter where you live or travel in Texas, it’s important to be prepared for potentially hazardous road conditions.

TxDOT provides winter weather driving tips:

• Slow down. Speed limits are based on normal road and weather conditions, not winter road conditions.
• Maintain at least three times the normal following distance when driving on snow or ice.
• Watch carefully for snow removal equipment and stay at least 200 feet behind snow plows.
• Use extra caution on bridges, ramps, overpasses, and shaded areas as they tend to freeze first.
• If your vehicle starts to slide, ease off the gas pedal or brakes. Steer into the direction of the skid until you have regained traction. Then straighten your vehicle.

Before traveling, review TxDOT’s Winter Safety Guide. You can also visit Drive Texas to check current road conditions across the state. For general travel tips, visit the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Travel Tips webpage.

Winter Weather Safety Tips

Updated 12/01/2025

Texas weather can change in an instant. So, during the winter months, it’s important to prepare for winter storms.

According to Ready.gov, winter storms can bring extreme cold, freezing rain, snow, ice, and high winds. These storms can last from just a few hours to multiple days. They may cut off heat, power, and communication services. Additionally, older adults, children, sick individuals, and pets are at greater risk.

Prepare Your Home. Apply insulation, caulking, and weather stripping.

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Install a carbon monoxide alarm that functions properly and has a backup battery function.

Use Portable Generators Safely. Use portable generators outside and far away from buildings (EPA).

Learn the signs of frostbite and hypothermia.

Make sure body parts most affected by cold are covered in warm, dry clothing to avoid frostbite and hyperthermia.

Know the signs of frostbite:

• Redness or pain in any skin area.
• A white or grayish-yellow skin area.
• Skin that feels unusually firm or waxy.
• Numbness.

Know the signs of hypothermia in adults and infants:

Adults

• Shivering
• Exhaustion
• Confusion
• Fumbling hands
• Memory loss
• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness

Infants

• Bright red, cold skin
• Very low energy

If a person is experiencing frostbite or hyperthermia, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Get them into a warm room or shelter. Remove any wet clothing. Warm them under layers of blankets and clothing. Place areas affected by frostbite in warm-to-touch water (CDC).