NEW CASTLE, DE – Delaware’s Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board has announced the start of its 2026 Organ Donor Awareness Video Scholarship Contest open to Delaware high school students. The contest encourages students to learn about organ and tissue donation and share that message with others.

The video public service scholarship contest is open to Delaware students in grades 9 through 12, who are urged to create a one- to two-minute video public service announcement about the importance of organ and tissue donation. As part of their entry, students are encouraged to interview a transplant patient or organ recipient. The deadline for video entries, which will be judged on creativity, accuracy, and positive messaging, is April 3, 2026. Winners in each county will receive a $1,000 first-place scholarship or a $500 second-place scholarship.

To learn more about the contest or to submit entries, go to OrganDonorVidsDE.com.

“Less than half of Delawareans are signed up as organ and tissue donors on their driver’s licenses or state IDs,” said Jill Fredel, Chair of the Delaware Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board and a kidney donor. “Yet hundreds of Delawareans are waiting for a life-saving or life-changing organ transplant. We can change that dynamic. With National Donate Life Month in April as the backdrop, we want to encourage more young people to say yes to becoming designated donors, a status they are likely to keep for the rest of their lives. Through our scholarship contest, we offer Delaware high school students a way to communicate the importance of organ and tissue donation to other young people.”

The 2025 winners were:

New Castle County Winners
– Sarah Voigt, Padua Academy, $1,000 (first-place tie)
– Liza Green, Wilmington Friends School, $1,000 (first-place tie)

Sussex County Winners
– Eric Saavedra, Sussex Central High School, $1,000

Kent County
– No entries received.

To view the first-place videos as a way to be inspired for this year’s contest, go to the Division of Public Health’s (DPH) YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@depublichealth. The direct link to Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board Scholarship Contest playlist is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa4FoSJ0N820_Zseuu6Zj6XA8NZLI6xU4.

The video scholarship contest is organized by the Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board, with support from DPH, the Delaware Department of Education, and Gift of Life, a regional donor program that serves Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and promotes the value of organ and tissue donations.

To register to become a designated organ and tissue donor in Delaware, visit a local Division of Motor Vehicles location or register online at https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/other/index.shtml?dc=dr_oth_organ.

The Delaware Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board, which is appointed by the governor, is charged with educating the public and developing programs to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation, including increasing the number of Delawareans who include the donor designation on their driver’s license or personal ID card. The board also encourages Delawareans to contribute to the Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Trust Fund.

The Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) is partnering with DocuPet, an online pet registration provider, to open their new and modernized dog licensing and complimentary HomeSafe® 24/7 lost pet service to Delaware dog owners starting today. This user-friendly platform will offer a more convenient and accessible way for owners to register their pets, with the added benefit of keeping lost dogs out of shelters and helping return them home safely.

Owners who license their dogs on the DocuPet platform will receive their assigned tag with a unique code that links directly to a dog’s secure online profile. Anyone who finds a lost pet can reference the code, which will be able to create a Found Pet Report in seconds. Owners can also create Lost Pet Reports as soon as they realize their pet has gone missing. Additionally, DocuPet’s dedicated dispatch staff is available 24/7 to reunite lost pets with their families around the clock.

Licensing dogs in Delaware is legally required for all dogs six months of age or older and requires a valid rabies vaccination. To encourage compliance, as part of the new partnership, the state is waiving late fees for expired licenses until July 15, 2025. Current licenses will remain active until their expiration date.

“Our new partnership with DocuPet will be extremely valuable to dog owners and necessary for animal safety within the state,” said Christina Motoyoshi, director of OAW. “Licensing your dog helps reduce the number of animals in shelters, freeing up space and resources for pets in need. Licensing also helps to ensure public safety and support critical animal services to our community. We’re excited for residents to take advantage of this program to help keep their own pets and others in the community safe.”

Pet owners can learn more and register pet licenses online at stateofdelaware.docupet.com. Owners can select a standard tag or upgrade and choose from hundreds of colorful and unique designer tag styles online or design their own tags with an easy-to-use customization tool. Use code LICENSES to get $5 off a designer tag. For pet licensing questions, visit animalservices.delaware.gov.

About the Office of Animal Welfare

The Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) protects the health, safety, and welfare of companion animals, and promotes the human-animal bond in the state of Delaware. An agency of the Division of Public Health, the OAW coordinates programs and policies that promote animal welfare, protect pets and people, and reduce pet homelessness. Delaware Animal Services (DAS) is the community service and enforcement unit under OAW that works to ensure the health and safety of animals, people and the community. DAS enforces dog control, animal cruelty and rabies control in the state.

About DocuPet

DocuPet provides the most advanced pet licensing program in North America, driving ordinance compliance while reducing costs and providing new value to pet owners. DocuPet launched its first municipal pet licensing program in 2014. Since that time, the company has partnered with more than 180 communities. For more information, please visit DocuPet.com.

NEW CASTLE (April 22, 2024) – Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long and leaders from the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), along with partner community agencies, led a community response briefing on Monday to provide the latest outcome data and other information regarding the State’s efforts to support individuals struggling with substance use disorder in Delaware.

Organized by DHSS’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), these quarterly briefings aim to inform the public about the State’s ongoing work to reduce overdoses and respond to the opioid epidemic.

The event was opened by Delaware Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, who highlighted her commitment to supporting people in Delaware struggling with substance use disorder and the providers who are the helpers in Delaware.

“As a public health nurse, I’m optimistic our efforts are having an impact on the opioid crisis here in Delaware. But the fact still remains that we have lost far too many Delawareans.” said Lt. Gov. Hall-Long, PhD, RN, research scientist and Chair of the Delaware Behavioral Health Consortium. “We’ve thrown the kitchen sink at this issue – and we are not stopping anytime soon. It has taken an all-hands-on-deck approach to get this far. As we continue forward, I want to thank the many grassroots advocates, nonprofits, state and local government agencies, our General Assembly, and especially, family members, for leaning in and collaborating on how to provide the best treatment, prevention, and recovery models for Delawareans.”

DSAMH Director Joanna Champney followed the Lt. Governor and provided information on her office’s efforts to combat overdose fatalities and the harmful impacts of substance use disorder in the community.

“We will not rest until drug poisoning and overdose deaths in our state are at zero, but we are grateful for the efforts of all of our partners to continue flattening the curve,” said Director Champney. “We will continue to focus on our strategies of reducing the negative stigma of addiction, screening individuals for opioid use disorder, offering information to healthcare providers about how to use medication to treat opioid use disorder, blanketing the state with the overdose reversal medication, targeting efforts to reach specific consumer groups, and focusing on Delaware’s addiction treatment infrastructure.”

John Evans, Director of the Division of Forensic Science, spoke about the variety of substances leading to overdose fatalities and broke down some data that demonstrated usage in the state.

Caroline Judd, MPH, Substance Use Disorder Epidemiologist with the Division of Public Health, shared data from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) as well as other key data points related to non-fatal overdose. The links below will provide access to the full sets of data provided by Caroline Judd during the press briefing:

State Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths, Delaware, 2018 to 2022 (arcgis.com)

Non-Fatal Emergency Visits, Delaware, 2019 to 2024 (arcgis.com)

Kim Blanch, BSN, RN, Director of Community Outreach at Beebe Healthcare, and Arlene Wood, LPCHM, LCPC, NCC, Beebe Healthcare Behavioral Health Grant Director, provided detailed insight from the provider perspective of their community work. Beebe Healthcare also brought their mobile outreach vehicle and provided tours for the public in attendance to see how they perform their work in the community.

Dr. Robert Rosenbaum, M.D., FACEP, FAEMS/State Medical Director for Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness at the Division of Public Health, spoke about the use of Buprenorphine by EMS response teams as a way to save lives and serve the public.

To help address behavioral health needs of Delawareans, DHSS has several ways for individuals or their family members to connect:

• Call the 24/7 Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-9-HOPEDE or 1-833-946-7333 – a single point of contact in which callers can connect to a variety of resources and information, including support from clinicians and peer specialists plus crisis assistance.
• Stop by one of DHSS’ Bridge Clinics for an in-person assessment.
• Visit TreatmentConnection.com to find out which treatment providers are located near you.
• Visit HelpIsHereDE.com, DHSS’ one-stop website where Delawareans can search for treatment services and resources in Delaware or nearby states.
• Call 988 if the individual is in crisis and needs immediate support.
• Call 911 if someone has overdosed and needs emergency medical attention.
• Learn where to find Narcan training, get the medication through the mail, and download the OpiRescueDE App here.

On April 9, 150 Delaware Cancer Consortium (DCC) members gathered for their 2024 retreat for presentations by prominent local and national speakers, including four cancer survivors who shared their diagnosis, care, and experience living with cancer.

The theme was Vision. Purpose. Action. Coming Together to Eliminate Cancer Disparities, aligning with DCC’s goal to implement culturally inclusive initiatives that ensure affordable and accessible care.

The Delaware General Assembly established the DCC in 2001 to reduce Delaware’s cancer incidence and mortality rates. Over the past 23 years, the DCC has produced five five-year plans with innovative cancer control recommendations that guide its members and thousands of dedicated volunteers.

“Every year, this event renews our passion to give Delawareans the resources they need to lead healthy lives,” said Governor John Carney. “Since the mid-to-late 1990s, Delaware’s cancer mortality rate has decreased substantially. We still have work to do, but thanks to the dedication of our health care workers and the Delaware Division of Public Health, we are on the right track.”

In the 1990s, Delaware’s cancer death rate ranked second in the nation. Most recent data show the state ranks 15th in cancer mortality and 20th for cancer incidence rate (457.6 per 100,000 in Delaware compared to 442.2 per 100,000 population in the nation), according to the Delaware Cancer Registry for the period 2016-2020.

Since the creation of the Delaware Cancer Treatment Program in 2004, funding for cancer treatments has been provided to 2,009 Delaware residents as of March 30, 2024.

• 13,019 Delaware residents were enrolled in the Screening for Life program between calendar years 2017 and 2023, and 8,303 received free breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer screenings during that time period.
• The Screening for Life program was created in 1997 and expanded by the Delaware Cancer Consortium in 2002. The program began covering lung cancer screenings in 2015.
• Each year, the Screening for Life program provides free breast and cervical cancer screenings to over 1,000 women.

Governor Carney and Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long signed two proclamations that designate the month of April as Cancer Control Month and Minority Cancer Awareness Month.

The Cancer Control Month designation urges all Delawareans to get screened for cancer when advised to do so and encourages all health care providers to promote cancer screening “as a powerful opportunity to save lives.”  Regular screenings increase the odds of detecting cancer in the early stages, when it is most treatable.  It remains a top priority for the DCC to ensure Delawareans have access to regular screenings and know the recommended guidelines.

According to the Delaware Cancer Registry for the period 2016-2020, 22.4% of new cancer cases in Delaware were detected in the distant stage, compared to 48.3% diagnosed at the local, or early, stage.

“I’m just going to be candid: knowing your cancer risk – as early as possible – can literally be the difference between life and death,” said Lieutenant Governor Hall-Long, who serves on two DCC committees. “The DCC is working tirelessly to raise awareness and increase accessibility to detect and treat cancer for all Delawareans. We have work to do, but I commend these continued efforts.”

The DCC and the Division of Public Health’s Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control work to ensure every Delawarean has access to timely cancer screenings and treatment through the Screening for Life (SFL) Program and the Delaware Cancer Treatment Program.  Cancer screenings are covered by insurance or SFL.  Delawareans can determine their eligibility for SFL by visiting Healthy Delaware.org or calling the SFL Program at 302-744-1040.

In a nod to pursing full health equity, the Minority Cancer Awareness Month observance notes that cancer disproportionately affects Delaware’s minority communities and urges them to get cancer screenings when advised to do so.

According to the Delaware Cancer Registry, for the period 2016-2020, the all-site cancer mortality rate among non-Hispanic Black Delawareans (171.7 people per 100,000 population) was higher than for non-Hispanic White Delawareans (158.9 people per 100,000 population).

In the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 36% of non-Hispanic White Delawareans reported having a PSA test to detect prostate cancer in the past two years compared to 26% of non-Hispanic Black Delawareans.  For 2016-2020, 28.3% of new breast cancer cases were detected in the distant stage among non-Hispanic White Delawareans, compared to 36.7% diagnosed at the distant stage among non-Hispanic Black Delawareans, according to the Delaware Cancer Registry.

Elle Sheaffer, a five-year cancer survivor of Newark and distinguished speaker at the retreat, is now a DBCC volunteer and leads a flower-arranging course for Cancer Support Community.

“A lot of people are scared to get help and think they must do it alone, but these resources are here, and they are still helping me thrive,” said Sheaffer.

For more information on the DCC’s initiatives, committees, upcoming events, and the current five-year plan, visit healthydelaware.org/consortium.

DOVER, DE (Jan. 3, 2023) – Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), Delaware was recently among 47 states to contribute data to the CDC’s Dec. 16, 2022, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, titled “Drug Overdose Deaths Among Persons Aged 10-19 Years – United States, July 2019-December 2021.” The Division of Public Health (DPH) utilizes SUDORS to track available trends and characteristics of drug overdose deaths and inform prevention and response efforts.

Although middle school and high school aged youth in the U.S. reported using fewer illicit drugs in 2020, there was a 94% increase in overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020 among this age group and a 20% increase from 2020 to 2021, according to the CDC report. From July-December 2019 to July-December 2021, the median monthly overdose deaths increased 109%. Despite reporting less illicit drug use among this population overall, the CDC points to the potency of the drugs as a major contributing factor to the increase in overdose deaths among youth. During the same time period, deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl increased 182%. Approximately 90% of overdose deaths involved opioids, and 83.9% involved illicit manufactured fentanyl.

Most youth who overdosed had no prior opioid use history, according to the CDC. Approximately a quarter of the deaths included evidence of counterfeit pills. However, this data may be underreported. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has documented counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl being sold to youth through social media. DPH has responded with an educational fentanyl campaign targeted to youth stating, “If you get your drugs from a DM and not a doctor, odds are they’re laced with fentanyl.” This campaign is running on various social media platforms. 

Additionally, two-thirds of decedents had a potential bystander present, although most provided no overdose response. It is important that family and friends recognize the warning signs of drug use and respond quickly to an overdose. The CDC states that parents should monitor adolescent behavior. DPH and the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health developed the toolkit, Talk2Kids About Drugs, which is available on HelpIsHereDE.com. This toolkit has resources for parents and educators on how to talk to kids about drugs and alcohol. In addition, DPH has worked with the Department of Education on new health modules for high schoolers on drug prevention and education. However, more opportunities for opioid response including Narcan administration training for parents, staff, and youth ages 14 and older is needed so that Narcan is readily available.

The CDC states that roughly 41% of decedents had a history of a mental health condition or treatment for substance use disorder. It is important that the community supports youth by implementing programs to prevent adverse childhood experiences. The Division of Public Health created the #MyReasonWhyDE campaign so that youth can promote their reason to remain drug free and embrace a resilient mind frame. However, if youth are struggling with their mental health or substance use disorder, there are resources available on HelpIsHereDE for immediate treatment in person, by phone or text, or online. Crisis intervention services for children under 18 are available 24/7 for parents and caregivers at 800-969-4357 or by texting DE to 741-741. 

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction in Delaware, call the DHSS 24/7 Crisis Hotline to be connected to treatment and recovery options. In New Castle County, call 1-800-652-2929. Or in Kent and Sussex counties, call 1-800-345-6785. For free 24/7 counseling, coaching, and support, as well as links to mental health, addiction, and crisis services call the Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-9-HOPEDE. To search for treatment and recovery services in Delaware or nearby states, visit HelpIsHereDE.com. 

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The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), a division of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, is a nationally accredited public health agency recognized by the Public Health Accreditation Board for its outstanding dedication to driving change through innovation. DPH is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. 
  

Anyone who is deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind, or speech-disabled can contact DPH by first dialing 711 using specialized devices (i.e., TTY, TeleBraille, voice devices). The 711 service is free; to learn more about how it works, visit delawarerelay.com.