Even though Utah hasn't had big-time (and expensive) anti-tobacco programs, the state's adults and youth have for years had the lowest smoking and drug use rate in the nation, presumably because of the large Mormon population in the state. The tenets of Mormonism forbid the use of tobacco, alcohol,
coffee and, of course, illicit drugs.

While the national average for youth marijuana use rose to 26.7 percent in l999, it was only 11 percent in Utah. The national average for youth tobacco use in l999 was 34.8 percent, but it was only 12 percent in Utah.

Good news for Utah, right?

Well, not exactly. Though Utah kids might not smoke, drink and do drugs as much as those in other states, they are committing suicide at a much higher rate than the national average.

Nationally, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death for the 10 to 24 age group and accounted for only 12 percent of the deaths in that age group. But in Utah, suicide is the second-leading cause of death (behind only auto accidents), comprising 20 percent of all youth deaths in Utah in l997. In fact, in the 15-19 age group, it is the number one cause of death for youths in the state.

[Source: "Suicide Rate High Among Utah Youths," Heather May, Salt Lake Tribune, 6/9/00].

I don't know, Wanda -- I'm no statistician, but couldn't it be said that abstaining from all those things is "associated with" teen suicide, and might even be "causing" it? I mean, applying the same rules they use to "associate" things with smoking, wouldn't it also hold true with things that are associated with NOT smoking and NOT drinking?

Maybe the headline should read: Teens who abstain from smoking and drinking are at an increased risk for suicide. ??



[This message has been edited by Martha Perske (edited 06-13-2000).]

Martha, your headline is absolutely accurate. Write a press release. That's the kind of sound bite that gets the attention of the press. You go, Girl!

Meanwhile, on today's "Junk Science" news, we see that smoking parents increase their children's risk of getting meningitis! How a parent's ETS can cause a child to get a bacterial infection escapes me. I'll bet if we read the study, we'll find out that the biological implausibility of this claim is of no concern to the researchers. But that doesn't stop THEM from writing their press release. So, indeed, Martha and Wanda, write that press release and let's see what happens. Maybe Orin Hatch will see the press release and change his stance on tobacco. For the children, of course.

Excellent, Martha! Personally I think that this is one of the things we should be doing -- turning their own guns against them. God knows there are plenty of opportunities to do so.

Heh-heh. I like it, Martha. Now if only we were able to spin this "association" through a computer program, write it up, and then get some of our pals to peer review it for American Journal of Public Health, put out a sensationalized press release with one of the professional services, we'd be in business. AND, of course, we'd be getting the money for all this from our $1 million DHHS grant!

Just off the top of my head I can think of several ETS/kids "studies" we could do:

1. NOT smoking around kids (and others) increases asthma. After all the asthma rate has skyrocketed only since smoking rates dropped and all the smoking bans were mandated virtually everywhere.

2. NOT smoking around kids causes them to have learning disabilities. Reported cases of autism in California rose by 210 percent (from 3,864 to 11,995)between l987 and l998, the very period smoking was virtually verboten in California (Prop 99 was passed in l988). In New York, the number of children
with learning disabilities rose from 132,000 to 204,000 between l983 and l996, a 55% jump in only 13 years--years during which smoking rates fell and more and more places became "smoke-free."

According to the current cover story in US News, which is the source for the figures above, currently "[o]ne of every six children in America suffers from problems such as autism, aggression, dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder," ["Kids at Risk," Sheila Kaplan and Jim Morris, 6/19/00]. They're saying, of course, it's all due to chemicals in the air and water, but the correlation between lack of ETS/lower smoking rates is certainly there.

Gotta go and call Carol Browner of the EPA and see if I can get a grant to study the health effects ETS deprivation on kids. After all, we all grew up with ETS everywhere
(and coal dust and smokestacks belching black smoke into the air and smoke from burning leaves and burning trash) and kids didn't have all these problems THEN. Now everything's so sterile and so REGULATED and we've got a nation of asthma-and- allergy-ridden, suicide-committing, learning-disabled kids--or so Nanny says.

Seems to me we also ought to fire the National Nanny, while we're at it, because she's doing a terrible job of raising our kids.

[This message has been edited by Wanda Hamilton (edited 06-13-2000).]

I am still laughing!!!!!!

Wanda, you know what? With all those facts you have (plus many more, I'm sure), coupled with your wonderfully witty style of writing, I bet you could get something like that published. Wouldn't that be fun.

Right on, Felt. That's exactly what needs to be done, turn their own guns against them. And the opportunities to do so are certainly increasing.

Dennis, I have been trying to find this item on Junk Science -- or anywhere else -- but can't. Can you give me a specific reference for it? I'd like to see the specific language.

Felt,

The article is listed June 13 on the Junk Science" news page -- "Smokers' children run meningitis risk" - "Parents who smoke are putting their children at a greater risk of developing meningitis, scientists have discovered." (The Independent)

I am amazed how my kids were always so healthy. My husband and I also grew up around smoking parents and relatives and seem to be quite healthy also. Good thing we didn't know about all this stuff that could have been happening to us!

Yes, isn't it amazing how several generations of children grew up healthy before Nanny started telliing them and their parents how to live? What's more, the generation that had the heaviest smoking rate and the maximum exposure to second-hand smoke is the longest-lived generation in our history. So how can it be that there are so very many
people over 65? According to what Nanny is telling us, they should all be dead!