Re: Life Duty Death

Susie Q (susieq@onramp.net)
Tue, 12 Sep 1995 00:23:22 -0600

In article <Pine.SUN.3.91.950911084620.3572C-100000@Ra.MsState.Edu>,
"Marty G. Price" <mprice@Ra.MsState.Edu> wrote:

> On Mon, 11 Sep 1995, Joseph Askew wrote:
>
> > >> We are
> > >>not even dying. On the contrary we are richer, happier,
> > >>longer lived

Well, no we aren't longer lived. Read this from the CDC's Daily AIDS
Summary for August 30, 1995.

"Pause in Life-Expectancy Gains Apparently Tied to Impact of
AIDS"
New York Times (08/30/95) P. C8; Brody, Jane E.
Newly published statistics from the Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company reveal that the increase in AIDS-related deaths has
basically halted the United States' century-long increase in life
expectancy. Life expectancy at birth reached a peak 75.8 years
in 1992, but fell slightly to 75.5 years the next year and
remained the same in 1994, early data from the National Center
for Health Statistics show. "While stagnation for two
consecutive years does not necessarily make a trend, it probably
shows in large measure the impact of AIDS," said the group's Dr.
Charles G. Hertz. He warned of the dangers of focusing on just
two years of data, but said it was important to keep track of
small changes because they could be early signs of significant
problems in health improvements.

Blaming the end of rising life expectancy in the US on AIDS deaths is
absurd, and, yes, I do know the official figures - and that the official
figures are lower than the real numbers. But this is a *big* country.
The decline represents the effects of the cancer epidemic, the worsening
and explosion of asthma, and other health problems which are escalating
in frequency and severity.

Wise up. Something's happening here....

-- 
Everyone in this country is dreaming. Now it is time to wake up.
Subcommandante Insurgente Marcos, Zapatista Army of National Liberation