Banning less harmful tobacco alternatives is not a way to improve public health.
I consider myself a rational person, someone who is swayed by solid data and persuasive arguments, yet every afternoon after my work is done, I jump on my three-cylinder Triumph motorcycle and take an exhilarating ride along country roads, city streets and freeways. The statistics suggest that this is a very bad idea.
Based on vehicle miles traveled, motorcyclists are 37 times more likely to die in a collision than the occupants of passenger vehicles, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Those are sobering numbers. Even air-bagged vehicles pose a significant risk. Around 39,000 Americans die each year in car and light-truck crashes.
On a personal level, I have three ways of dealing with the incongruity between my love of riding and its dangers. First, I can stop riding, which will dramatically increase my odds. Second, I can refuse to worry about it—and make besides-the-point excuses to justify my choice. Did you know that 400,000 Americans die each year because of unhealthy eating?
Steven Greenhut – Reason – 2022-05-06.
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