Why is the Opioid Epidemic Hitting Rural America Particularly Hard? (unemployment, interstates)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As somebody who lives in rural America, there really isn't anything to do other than go to church or go to the bar. Obesity is a problem because people typically drive long distances, don't exercise on a daily basis, and tend to eat lower quality food. I think the boringness of rural America encourages things like alcoholism and drug addiction. As you said, rural America, especially landlocked states far from water or mountains, are experiencing the worst of it.
I agree. I think in the old days, people only knew what was around them and were content with it. In the internet age, I believe they feel more isolated and feel the need to be more stimulated. Also, the high levels of addiction in their communities is a relatively new concept to them (other than alcoholism), while urban populations have dealt with it for decades.
As far as obesity, more prepared foods and fast food with high levels of sugar, salt and preservatives in large portions coupled with a more sedentary lifestyle is a bad combination.
Does anyone have statistics that reflect rural populations have a greater problem with drug abuse and obesity than city dwellers? Unless someone has proof the OP assertion is accurate, posters are displaying prejudices and bigotry.
The more I take road trips, the more I realize that unless it is a mountain or water recreation area the more problems rural America tends to have.
Most of rural America if not in a scenic area that attracts rich retirees is basically nothing more then a bunch of heroin, meth, elephant tranquilizer usage and binge drinking.
Here in Nebraska, the heroin use rate is the likely the lowest in America but the rates of alcoholism and eating addictions is very high.
For example, rates of obesity in many of non-ranching, non-urban areas are in the 35% to 37% range similar to the rates in Mississippi and West Virginia.
I know here in Nebraska, most people who have rural county license places that come to shop are a good 50 to 100 pounds more then the typical Omahan.
The rate of obesity in Omaha is about 27% and in the rural counties around Omaha it is about 35 to 37% which is about what it is in deep south.
Obviously, I can't stereotype all of rural America as scenic areas like Aspen, Vail, Park City and Bend are likely some of the healthiest places in America.
Everything that is in your head doesn't have to come out of your mouth. What's the point? Is this an ass backwards way of saying we're better than you? You forgot how you're all brilliant.
... Which areas is all this heroin supposedly concentrated?
It’s a huge problem in rural southwest Ohio. One issue is that many of the smaller towns had a single dominant employer, for example in manufacturing, transportation, packaging of agricultural products and the like. If this employer relocates, say for example to the South, the town gets devastated. Some people will brave the long commute to a job in the closest city, while others will cope by other means. Amongst those means is unfortunately the turning towards chemicals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hellob
Their diet never adapted from the work all day lifestyle. It's not like it was healthy then but at least you worked most of the calories off.
While I'll refrain from accusations as to whose diet is more or less healthy, it does stand to reason, that persons who have less physically active lives than their parents and grandparents, are going to be burning fewer calories. Arguably, city-life in terms of outdoor activity hasn't changed much in generations; people still need to walk to the bus-stop and so forth. But with agricultural automation, and loss of manual-labor jobs overall, the rural/small-town lifestyle has changed considerably.
The more I take road trips, the more I realize that unless it is a mountain or water recreation area the more problems rural America tends to have.
Most of rural America if not in a scenic area that attracts rich retirees is basically nothing more then a bunch of heroin, meth, elephant tranquilizer usage and binge drinking.
Here in Nebraska, the heroin use rate is the likely the lowest in America but the rates of alcoholism and eating addictions is very high.
For example, rates of obesity in many of non-ranching, non-urban areas are in the 35% to 37% range similar to the rates in Mississippi and West Virginia.
I know here in Nebraska, most people who have rural county license places that come to shop are a good 50 to 100 pounds more then the typical Omahan.
The rate of obesity in Omaha is about 27% and in the rural counties around Omaha it is about 35 to 37% which is about what it is in deep south.
Obviously, I can't stereotype all of rural America as scenic areas like Aspen, Vail, Park City and Bend are likely some of the healthiest places in America.
As far as heroin goes, that's an easy one. Blame that on our government who helps cultivate the stuff. The Taliban almost had it wiped out in 2001 then America started protecting the fields. Sympathy towards the earning power of those that farm the poppies over there, vs sympathy for Americans hooked on it here.
"In 2007, 93% of the non-pharmaceutical-grade opiates on the world market originated in Afghanistan." In 2016 the total amount was slightly higher than in 2007
The more I take road trips, the more I realize that unless it is a mountain or water recreation area the more problems rural America tends to have.
Most of rural America if not in a scenic area that attracts rich retirees is basically nothing more then a bunch of heroin, meth, elephant tranquilizer usage and binge drinking.
Here in Nebraska, the heroin use rate is the likely the lowest in America but the rates of alcoholism and eating addictions is very high.
For example, rates of obesity in many of non-ranching, non-urban areas are in the 35% to 37% range similar to the rates in Mississippi and West Virginia.
I know here in Nebraska, most people who have rural county license places that come to shop are a good 50 to 100 pounds more then the typical Omahan.
The rate of obesity in Omaha is about 27% and in the rural counties around Omaha it is about 35 to 37% which is about what it is in deep south.
Obviously, I can't stereotype all of rural America as scenic areas like Aspen, Vail, Park City and Bend are likely some of the healthiest places in America.
Well you've far overgeneralized. We have a national problem with drugs and obesity. There are certain areas where the problems are worse and that includes many rural areas as well as some urban communities.
In general, many of the rural people that went to college and earned a degree left the rural community and joined the urban community (wife and I are examples). So you have a situation like in Seattle where the majority have a degree and job opportunities in the knowledge economy. The rural people that didn't get educated have been left behind (again that's a generalization that doesn't apply to many rural people who are doing quite well). Also, many of the people that have a drug and/or alcohol addiction move to rural areas because it's much cheaper.
Conclusion, we have a serious problem with our food chain that needs to be addressed (I hope Trump Administration will do so) and a serious drug problem nationwide that needs attention to resolve.
So OP has brought up a huge problem issue but has done so with poor generalizations and conclusions.
"Obviously, I can't stereotype all of rural America as scenic areas like Aspen, Vail, Park City and Bend are likely some of the healthiest places in America."
Aspen has a pretty big opioid problem, a lot of the scenic mountain towns do.
The most gun violence also takes place in the state where it is easy to get guns. Not sure where in these states the violence takes place, but their cities are not that big comparatively.
..."Economic factors also appear to be related to firearm deaths. The poverty rate in eight of the 10 states with the most gun violence was above the national rate of 15.8%. Mississippi, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas, the states with the four highest poverty rates in the country, were among the states with the most gun violence"...
This article is bs and is farming bs stats from somewhere else to try and lie.
In 2011 Per 100k people, D.C. has the worst gun murder rate in the country. CA and NY were also both way above many gun popular states such as WV.
New York was right below Arkansas and they had a very similar rate.
This is the rate per 100k people, not total numbers.
Picking the most ignorant Obama voters just shows how petulant your mindset is. It also shows a thinly veiled bigotry on your part. We can find plenty of hardworking Obama voters, but you picked an ignorant hoodrat. Shows more about you than said woman.
Get a grip! There's a lunatic fringe on BOTH sides. I've seen plenty of stupid chit from Trumpers and rwnj too. Heck look at this board!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
