Infection control
In what century were antiseptic surgical practices developed?
Antiseptic surgery practices were not developed until the 1800s.
In how many US states (excluding DC) is marijuana currently legal for recreational use?
[18, 24, 32, 38]
Marijuana is currently legal for recreational use in 24 states (plus DC).
In 2024, was the federal poverty level for a family of four higher or lower than $40,000?
Lower: the 2024 FPL for a family of four is $31,200.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup was advertised as an effective remedy for a wide range of health problems in babies. After being on the market for several decades, however, the drug was labeled a "baby killer."
Guess one of the active ingredients that made Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup both soothing and fatal.
Morphine or alcohol
What is the full name of the US government agency with the acronym CDC?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In the Middle Ages, Europe was hit by a series of epidemics bookended by plagues in the sixth and 14th centuries.
Name one public health disease prevention practice that first emerged during this era.
Quarantine or isolation
True or false: fentanyl is five times more potent than heroin and ten times more potent than morphine.
False: fentanyl is 50x more potent than heroin and 100x more potent than morphine.
Out of all the bones in the adult human skeleton, is the percentage of bones located in the hands and feet higher or lower than 45%?
Higher: 106 of the 206 bones (51.4%) in the adult human skeleton are located in the hands and feet.
What was a popular treatment for "hysteria" in the 18th-19th centuries?
Clitoral stimulation with a vibrator
What is the three-digit dialing code for the US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline?
The dialing code for the Lifeline is 988
Which of the following disease prevention strategies was not widely implemented during the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-1919?
[Social distancing, quarantine, vaccination, wearing masks]
Vaccination
In what decade did the US federal government establish 21 as the minimum legal drinking age?
[1920s, 1940s, 1960s, 1980s]
1980s: Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act establishing 21 as the drinking age in 1984.
Is the percentage of US adults who have received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine higher or lower than 80%?
Lower: according to the CDC, 19.7% of US adults report having received the updated COVID vaccine.
Which product was advertised as a relief for allergies and asthma in the 1920s?
[Saline nasal spray, cigarettes, orange juice, codeine syrup]
Cigarettes
In 1991, a photo of Princess Diana giving a handshake made major public health news. What was the significance of this photo?
The photo shows Princess Diana shaking hands with a person living in an AIDS hospice without wearing gloves, challenging HIV stigma.
Which of the following infectious disease-related terms was the Oxford English Dictionary's "Word of the Year" in 2021?
[Prevention, coronavirus, vax, hand sanitizer]
Oxford English Dictionary declared "vax" its 2021 Word of the Year.
Which of the following drug classes show promise for treating substance use disorders?
[Hallucinogens, narcotics, antiemetics, beta blockers]
Emerging evidence from clinical trials shows that hallucinogens may be highly effective in treating addiction, PTSD, and other psychiatric conditions.
Is the percentage of US adults who say they would avoid a close friend who developed an addiction to prescription opioids higher or lower than 7%?
Higher: in a national survey, 13% of US adults said they would avoid a close friend who developed an addiction to prescription opioids
What was a "whale hotel," a supposed treatment for rheumatism in early 20th century Australia?
A "whale hotel" was the practice of sitting inside a whale carcass (for up to 30 hours!) to treat rheumatism.
Borborygmus is a medical term for which of the following mundane bodily phenomena?
[Hiccups, intestinal rumbling, goosebumps, rash]
Borborygmus is a term for intestinal rumbling.
What town-wide infection control method was used to eliminate miasma, believed to cause the Black Plague, in the 14th century?
Entire towns were burned down to eliminate miasma.
Which musician wrote to the President Richard Nixon requesting to be appointed a Federal Agent at Large to support federal anti-drug efforts?
[Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger]
In 1970, Elvis Presley wrote to Nixon: "The drug culture, the hippie elements, the SDS, Black Panthers, etc., do not consider me as their enemy or as they call it the establishment. …I can and will be of any service that I can to help The Country out. I have no concern or Motives other than helping the country out."
Is the number of types of bacteria in the human belly button higher or lower than 40?
Higher: there may be as many as 70 different types of bacteria in the belly button!
In the 1910s, some advised women to lose weight through movements to stretch the ____.
[Muscles, abdomen, lungs, liver]
The liver
True or false: the word "muscle" comes from the Latin word for "mouse."
True: the word muscle comes from the Latin word musculus, originally meaning "little mouse."