It was encouraging that Kansas scored much higher this year on an annual oral health report card, though the state still scored low on access and policies — including Wichita’s time-warped refusal to fluoridate its drinking water. Nearly all U.S. cities Wichita’s size and larger have fluoridated water — and have for decades. Yet when asked by The Eagle about the issue, Wichita City Council member Paul Gray appeared completely ignorant of the significant public health benefits of fluoridation.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Kansas didn’t do as well on a smoking report card. It reported F’s for the amount of smoke-fee air in the state, for money spent on educating current smokers, and for a lack of state programs to help people quit smoking.
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20 Comments
Smokers have been the bane of my existance for most of my life.
Existence, not existance.
“a lack of state programs to help people quit smoking.”
So what the heck is the state doing with all that tax money collected from smokers?
Maybe the state needs the smokers.
It goes to their health care and isn’t nearly enough. The problem is that unless someone is motivated to quit..throwing all the money in the world at programs isn’t going to get them to quit. I think we should quit wasting money and just let nature take it’s course by weeding out the self destructive ones…that’s how it’s supposed to work anyway.
With the exception of Obama of course!
Don’t forget to come and celebrate at The Anchor on Friday evening!
Mary–
“by weeding out the self destructive ones”
Does that include the “drinkers? Everyone is against smoking, but seem to think it is o.k. to drink. I think we should quit wasting money on the people who drink. And FYI I do not smoke.
Anal retentiveness kill in its own way just as surely as smoking. Dif is, smokers are a lot more pleasant to be around than fussbudgets.
BIGGER issue here? It is stupid that we do not fluoridate the water.
I think adding fluoride is something parents should have a choice in. I’m not a fan of additives especially mandated.
As far as the smoking, leave people alone. If you’re going after something, go after booze, it hurts far more people faster.
“Political_mama” shares –
“I’m not a fan of additives especially mandated.”
So protest chlorine, too.
Back in 1968 Abbie Hoffman went on a riff about the YIPPIE Party’s plans to dose all of America’s water systems with LSD.
Sometimes I think they might have succeeded.
When it comes to the right or wrong of vices it is like the difference between Nazism and Capitalism, Nazism goes straight to the point of killing without profits earned.
Political_mama posted January 18, 2009 at 11:22 am
As far as the smoking, leave people alone. If you’re going after something, go after booze, it hurts far more people faster.
——–
Yeah. . . smoking kills slower. I knew a few ex-smokers, who died long after quitting, from lung cancer.
Fluoride? You can get it in toothpaste and mouthwash. And treatments at the DDS.
Chlorine? It’s worse than fluoride, especially at high levels. Use a filtration system.
Health in general? People who smoke, drink excessively, don’t exercise, and have a poor diet should try living a healthier lifestyle for about 2 months. The improvement in the quality of their life would probably convince them to continue on the healthier lifestyle.
I quit smoking 5 years ago after smoking for 37 years and now I can run up and down stairs without having to stop to catch my breath.
Cosmos is right about healthier lifestyles, it does make a difference but as far as the consequences of a vice, it is just a roll of the dice.
“Mary–
“by weeding out the self destructive ones”
Does that include the “drinkers? Everyone is against smoking, but seem to think it is o.k. to drink. I think we should quit wasting money on the people who drink. And FYI I do not smoke.”
It includes anyone who over eats, drinks, smokes, has a sedenary lifestyle, etc. Money thrown at a problem can’t save anyone if they’re not motivated to change their lifestyle. I agree with P Mom….leave them alone, and nature will prevail. It’s part of the natural selection process. If we want to try to solve the problem…start with the kids. It’s too late when one becomes an adult.
And whatever happened to the millions of dollars of the “tobacco settlement fund” money that was returned to every state including Kansas to use to establish programs to discourage smoking?
I realize this money was often referred to as the “lawyer enrichment fund” by OTHER LAWYERS.
Last week one morning, I noticed four homeless males walking near the downtown Waco street postoffice … all smoking. Now how can the homeless afford to smoke? Haven’t THEY been warned by social service agencies of the dangers to their health from lighting up?
J Wink..are you coming on Friday? I’d really like to see you! It’s been a long time.
How could you know they were homeless?
Were they carrying signs or wearing some sort of “I’m homeless” ID?
http://milwaukeetalkie.blogspot.com/2008/04/smoking-ban-research-policy-kills.html
Something to consider when imposing a smoking ban.
Also, note how there are so few studies on the long term economics after smoking bans are implemented? Gee wonder why that is.
“Also, note how there are so few studies on the long term economics after smoking bans are implemented? Gee wonder why that is.”
And the point is?
I guess we should be concerned about tobacco industry profits?
#
Monkeyhawk
Posted January 19, 2009 at 7:09 am | Permalink
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From Kurt Vonnegut’s obituary –
“”I’ve been smoking Pall Mall unfiltered cigarettes since I was 12 or 14. So I’m going to sue the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, who manufactured them. And do you know why? Because I’m 83 years old. The lying b@st@rds! On the package Brown & Williamson promised to kill me.”
A couple of months later Vonnegut died, of a fall from a ladder.
rustylrw wrote on 1/15/2009 10:14:28 AM:
The CDC’s MMWR of 17 Aug 2001 says Fluoride works primarily after teeth have erupted. The concentration of fluoride in ductal saliva, as it is secreted from salivary glands, is low and is not likely to affect cariogenic activity. The prevalence of dental caries in a population is not inversely related to the concentration of fluoride in enamel, and a higher concentration of enamel fluoride is not necessarily more efficacious in preventing dental caries. The CDC is telling you the truth in plain sight in order to cover their behinds. Although the rest of the article promotes water fluoridation these snippets tell the truth. The largest study ever in 86-87 of 39,000 school children showed an 18% difference in cavities between fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. When someone else looked at the numbers they found a difference of 0.6 tooth surfaces (out of 128) Samuel Clements said there are 3 kinds of lies- lies, damm lies, and statistics.