Jason Rojas

We all have medication in our cabinets that we may have stopped taking, never used, or even just totally forgot was there. Though they may be nothing more than a passing thought of "I need to remember to do something with those," expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications can be incredibly dangerous.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a great opportunity to remind us all the importance of taking steps to protect our health as early detection saves lives. Take a moment on this National Mammography Day to talk to your doctor about your personal risk of breast cancer and to schedule your annual mammogram.

Happy October! Last week, I provided a list of some of the new laws that would go into effect today, October 1. State and local law enforcement officials are reminding resident that among those laws is a new requirement for seat belts. Effective today, all occupants of a vehicle, regardless of their age, are required to wear a seat belt.

Next week, several new laws in Connecticut will go into effect on October 1. These laws are a result of the hard work of my colleagues and I during the 2021 session. We worked tirelessly to push for change that would benefit all Connecticut residents.

I hope you are doing well and comfortably settling into the new school year or your new (almost) fall routines! As we continue to enjoy the beautiful New England late summer/early fall weather, I did want to remind the community that West Nile Virus remains a risk throughout Connecticut.

Tomorrow commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives on the morning of September 11, 2001 and many more, including first responders, have died from health complications in the years following the attacks. September 11th remains one of the darkest and deadliest days in U.S. history.

I hope you are all doing well following this week's heavy rains and flash flooding in our area – estimates from the National Weather Service shows that the remnants of Hurricane Ida brought over 5" of rainfall to our communities.

Welcome back East Hartford Public Schools! I hope you and your families had a great start to the school year. I enjoyed seeing everyone's bus stop and drop-off first day of school selfies as our students returned to the classroom this week!