Alcohol in America Taking Action to Prevent Abuse (1985) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
8. Reducing Environmental Risk
8. Reducing Environmental Risk
Pages 95-103
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 95... ...
"When we have a dangerous traffic intersection we very seldom mount a campaign to educate the public about the dangers of the intersection," says Robert Reynolds of San Diego County's Department of Health Services. "Instead, we install a traffic light or in serious instances we construct an overpass.
|
From page 96... ...
The most efficient physical devices now available for preventing accidental deaths are passive restraints in automobiles. If every automobile were equipped with airbags or automatic restraining belts, a substantial fraction of the people now killed in traffic accidents wouIcl be saved.
|
From page 97... ...
For instance, for several years the Consumer Product Safety Commission sought to institute regulations requiring that cigarettes be manufactured to go out if not smoked within a few minutes. These proposals were backed by most of the major fire prevention lobbying groups.
|
From page 98... ...
At the federal level these include the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the National Transportation Safety Board. Many other agencies within the federal government have also been given heightened responsibilities for safety.
|
From page 99... ...
believe that many federal agencies are overlooking fairly straightforward ways to significantly reduce alcohol-related problems. In the field of transportation, for instance, several agencies including the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Coast Guard—recognize the role that alcohol plays in accidents yet have not moved forcefully to deal with the problem.
|
From page 100... ...
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, over one minion arrests are made each year for public intoxication. This offense and drunk driving are the two most common reasons for arrest in the United States.
|
From page 101... ...
Some of the local, environmental approaches to public drunkenness that have been taken in the past may be a good starting point for such study. One problem is that urban renewal has demolished the traditional institutions of skid row, obliterating the old havens for impoverished drinkers.
|
From page 102... ...
These experiences have probably helped to make many people hesitant to criticize or intervene in the drunken behavior of others. Given the potential of excessive drinking to cause harm, most people probably underreact to intoxication.
|
From page 103... ...
Similarly, someone who drinks in these parts of the country may fee} unnecessarily condemned for doing so, although it is not known if this is a serious problem. In general, there are potential risks in raising people's level of concern about their own and others' cirinking.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.