Drunk driving is the leading cause of motor vehicle deaths in the United States, and hundreds of thousands of alcohol-related automobile accidents continue to take place each year. Many studies have explored the impacts of alcohol taxes and traffic laws on the incidence of these crashes.
The increased global production of biofuels such as ethanol has become a subject of controversy, as land formerly dedicated to the growing of food crops is repurposed to meet energy needs. Each year, more crops such as sugar, palm oil, corn and cassava are diverted for these purposes.
Prior to March 2011, parents in the United States were advised to keep their child’s car seat rear-facing at least until the child weighed 20 pounds and turned 1 year old, at which point the car seat might safely be turned around to face forward during travel. That prevailing guideline changed when the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new recommendation that the position of car seats should be kept rear-facing until the child is 2 years old.
Marijuana usage in America rose 6.9% between 2009 and 2010, when some 17.4 million Americans reported using the drug. Sixteen states now permit the medical use of marijuana for diseases such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, but the drug’s growing popularity is primarily due to more recreational users ages 18 to 34, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Every year, traffic accidents kill more than a million people and injure close to 50 million around the world. As tragic and needless as these deaths are, they’re expected to increase over time: By 2020, traffic crashes will be third in the world ranking of burden of disease, as measured in disability-adjusted life years.
The United States sees about 85,000 alcohol-related deaths a year, making pricing and regulation of the industry an important public health issue with broad consequences.
In economics, the word externality refers to costs or benefits of a good or service not reflected in its price. For example, making gasoline requires petroleum extraction, transportation, and refinement; driving creates pollution, noise and congestion. These in turn cause health and environmental damage.
Excessive levels of ozone and other air pollutants are costly in many ways, not just to human health. Beyond the direct health care costs resulting from complications, air pollution also imposes substantial burden on public and private health insurers.
