On Thursday, June 5, 2025, from 8:30 AM to 1 PM, DPH will be unable to accept payments over the phone while the system is being updated.
If you need to submit a payment during this time, payments can be accepted online. Thank you for your patience.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 15, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster has proclaimed May 19 through May 23, 2025, as South Carolina Heat Safety Week. As temperatures begin to rise across that state, officials are urging residents to prioritize heat safety ahead of the summer season.
This statewide initiative is a joint effort between the S.C. State Climatology Office, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, the National Weather Service, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, and the S.C. Department of Public Health.
“Extreme heat can be just as dangerous as other severe weather hazards,” said John Quagliariello, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service Columbia Office. “It’s crucial that we take heat safety seriously—especially vulnerable populations such as older adults, children, outdoor workers, and those with underlying health conditions.”
Heat Safety Week will include daily themes to educate the public on the dangers of excessive heat and the steps they can take to stay safe:
May 19: Heat-related illness awareness
May 20: Check on your family, neighbors, and friends
May 21: Heatstroke prevention tips
May 22: Heat safety and outdoor recreation
May 23: Staying safe in the sun (Don’t Fry Day)
Assistant State Climatologist Melissa Griffin said, “Heat waves generally occur during the summer months, when weather patterns are slow to shift, but can occur late in the spring and into the middle of fall.” She also stated that heat has been the leading cause of weather-related fatalities nationwide since 1991. She encouraged South Carolina residents and visitors to pay close attention to local weather forecasts from the National Weather Service and local meteorologists.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) places an emphasis on preventing vehicular heat stroke, especially among young children, who are particularly at risk. More than 50% of child heatstroke fatalities are the result of a child being forgotten in a vehicle. Additionally, more than 25% of child heatstroke fatalities happen because a child gains unauthorized access to a parked vehicle and becomes entrapped, like getting locked in the trunk of a car.
"A car, even in moderate temperatures, can become dangerously hot very quickly,” said Kevin Poore, Director of Safe Kids South Carolina and DPH's Child Passenger Safety Coordinator. “It's important to create habits which include checking for children and pets upon exiting your vehicle, as well as preventing unauthorized access to cars by keeping your doors locked. Finally, always be willing to take action and immediately call 911 when you see a child left alone in a car."
DPH has developed an interactive Heat Related Illness Dashboard, which includes interactive data pages that allow you to view data for the state and each county. There were 209 hospitalizations and 1,814 emergency department visits for heat related illness in South Carolina from May to September in 2022, the most recent year for which data is available.
Tips for Staying Safe in the Heat:
Additional resources can be found online at weather.gov/safety/heat, scemd.org/prepare/ and dph.sc.gov/health-wellness/health-safety/heat-related-illnesses.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jun. 3, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds South Carolinians of several tips to help prevent mosquito bites and eliminate mosquito breeding areas while enjoying time outside this summer.
There are at least 61 different species of mosquitoes in South Carolina, but fortunately not all of them bite people. Often, mosquitoes are simply a nuisance, but some species can pose serious health risks to people and animals by spreading disease.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 27, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health joins the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, through its Office of Substance Use Services (OSUS), in recognizing a predicted decline in drug overdose deaths in the United States and South Carolina in 2024. This encouraging trend is based on new provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 20, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is proud to spotlight the state’s emergency medical services (EMS) professionals during National EMS Week. Every day, EMS professionals help save lives and safeguard the health, safety and well-being of their communities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 15, 2025