Education Is A Key Weapon

In Tick-Borne Disease Effort

To the Editor:

Our selectmen have reviewed in detail the extensive report presented by the Tick-Borne Disease Action Committee last fall, and have determined to proceed as follows.

First, the selectmen have requested the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to prepare a deer management protocol, including a citizen survey and deer count. The town may or may not act on some or all of DEEP’s management suggestions.

Second, a committee will be created with the goal of creating a revitalized public campaign to “educat[e] the public as to what they need to do to protect themselves against [tick-borne] diseases” (July 2, 2012 BOS minutes, page 2). Wisely, our first selectman has appointed Regional Health Director Donna Culbert and Health Education Supervisor (Board of Education) Judy Blanchard to be co-chairmen of this new committee. The efficacy of personal protection measures is well proven, and constitutes the best and most efficacious way to prevent tick-borne diseases.

In our opinion the decision of the selectmen to bifurcate the process, as outlined above, was well thought out. It will allow the new education committee to move forward with the many unanimous or almost unanimous recommendations of the report, while the selectmen consider the more controversial decisions regarding deer after obtaining information and options presented by DEEP and other experts. As noted in the July 2 Board of Selectmen minutes, the first selectman stated that “it is the wrong strategy for any town to reduce the number of deer with the singular purpose of reducing the incidence of tick-borne disease.” Although the TBDAC consensus was far from unanimous, in our opinion the lack of feasibility of this approach elsewhere over years supports this comment by our first selectman.

We believe our town is at the forefront of tick-borne disease prevention in our region. We strongly support the formation of the education committee to revitalize efforts to educate Newtown residents regarding the basic personal protection measures that will reduce or eliminate their risk of contracting tick-borne disease.

Robert S. Grossman, MD

Michele L. McLeod, MD

Co-Chairmen

 Newtown Ad Hoc

Tick-Borne Disease Action Committee

22 Still Hill Road, Sandy Hook                                        August 2012