How red-state politics are shaving years off American lives <<-- link to gift article
The Washington Post has an interesting story about how the politics in red states are resulting in their citizens dying younger than the citizens of blue states. It compares 3 counties next to each other on Lake Erie in NY, PA, and OH and finds that the death rate for 35-65 year olds is higher in red Ohio than purple PA and blue NY.
It compares cigarette taxes with smoking rates and seat belt laws with traffic deaths. Lower cigarette taxes result in higher rates of cancer deaths. Lax seat belt laws result in higher deaths from traffic accidents.
It also points out how Ohio has diverted the money from the cigarette settlement to lower taxes instead of smoking cessation programs and how red states don't provide the medical care that blue states do.
The story made me go look up life expectancy at birth in each state.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/life_expectancy/life_expectancy.htm
9 of the 10 states with the longest life expectancy are blue states
9 of the 10 states with the shortest life expectancy are red states.
Living in a blue state means you will live almost 5 years longer.
It's almost as if the Republicans and conservatives have decided they just don't care about their citizens or how long they live.
The Washington Post has an interesting story about how the politics in red states are resulting in their citizens dying younger than the citizens of blue states. It compares 3 counties next to each other on Lake Erie in NY, PA, and OH and finds that the death rate for 35-65 year olds is higher in red Ohio than purple PA and blue NY.
It compares cigarette taxes with smoking rates and seat belt laws with traffic deaths. Lower cigarette taxes result in higher rates of cancer deaths. Lax seat belt laws result in higher deaths from traffic accidents.
It also points out how Ohio has diverted the money from the cigarette settlement to lower taxes instead of smoking cessation programs and how red states don't provide the medical care that blue states do.
The story made me go look up life expectancy at birth in each state.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/life_expectancy/life_expectancy.htm
9 of the 10 states with the longest life expectancy are blue states
9 of the 10 states with the shortest life expectancy are red states.
Living in a blue state means you will live almost 5 years longer.
It's almost as if the Republicans and conservatives have decided they just don't care about their citizens or how long they live.
