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Gun violence leads to huge health-care costs. Gun violence has to be kept in the public's sight if we're ever going to do better than we're doing now as a country.

There's more reason to treat gun violence as a public-health issue. Gun injuries result in billions of dollars of health-care costs, which affects not just the injured or killed but often takes money that hospitals might use for other patients.

A new Stanford University study focused on the health-care costs of gun injuries and found that from 2006 to 2014 Americans paid more than $6.6 billion to treat victims of gunshots. That's without counting long-term care or rehabilitation.

The study, published last week in the American Journal of Public Health, could easily be lost in the unending stream of bizarre behavior emanating from Washington, D.C. We have to keep our eyes on Washington, but without losing sight of the many other problems that need to be dealt with.


Read More: Health-care costs should spur action on guns
 
yeah and its the coffees fault i got burnt. right? or its the forks fault that people are fat? isnt it?

what about alcohol violence?
what about illegal immigrants flooding the ER "because its free?"
what about poverty in the inner cities?
what about drug addicts overdosing or killing for their next fix?

that all costs the tax payer money too.

maybe i need to re-read the article correct me if im wrong but its too easy for people to blame the gun rather than fix the real problem.

the real public safety issue is the half-wits they call politicians, entitlements, LAZY PEOPLE?

dang it im late for work. :eek::rolleyes:
 
Anyone who really cared about saving lives as well as reducing healthcare costs would be in favor of an all-out ban on tobacco products. According to the CDC, smoking is responsible for killing more than 500,000 people in the US alone - every year.

BUT, many, many people make a living from tobacco from the growers to the cig manufacturers, distributors, sellers and every single government agency that generates tens of millions or more of tax revenue. THAT is the reason smoking will always remain legal - even though it kills by the 100's of thousands, it brings in millions upon millions in revenue and taxes.

The people that say the type of BS in these articles don't give a damn about saving a single life. If they did, they would focus all their efforts on the big killers. No, this is, and always will be, about control. They don't want us armed, plain and simple, because if we're not armed, we can't fight them. Sickening to me how many millions of Americans are all too happy to cast their vote for ANY damn POS politician that would dare to fight to disarm American citizens. Those type of people will never get my vote.
 
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+1 @v0lcom13sn0w

Another reason they want illegals...they will eventually vote, or there kids will.

Illegal immigrant healthcare (uninsured, unrecoverable) has to be in the 100's of billions annually. Get rid of that, and there's PLENTY to cover US citizen uninsured.
 
The gun grabbers are looking to get the insurance lobby to step up with their efforts and money in congress.

There is no more powerful lobby, and no entity that spends more MONEY buying legislation than the insurance companies. Especially now that so many of them are tied to the banking industry.

This is something that needs to watched carefully, because if they can make a couple of bucks for every one they spend, they'll do it. The statists will use government health care to infringe on gun rights if they can.
But if they're forced to stick with free market principles, they'll turn to the insurance companies and their massive lobbying pool full of dollars.
 
They will always go after our rights and this will never stop until they have total control. I agree with everyone's posts It's wrong in every way but we will fight this the rest of our lives and our kids will fight it their entire life.

The only way this stops is if they start making money on gun purchases like on tobacco or healthcare. None of us want that tax either so we keep fighting stand together and keep pushing back.
 
+1 @v0lcom13sn0w

Another reason they want illegals...they will eventually vote, or there kids will.

Illegal immigrant healthcare (uninsured, unrecoverable) has to be in the 100's of billions annually. Get rid of that, and there's PLENTY to cover US citizen uninsured.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the estimated cost of treating uninsured illegal immigrants is $4.3 billion annually.
 
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the estimated cost of treating uninsured illegal immigrants is $4.3 billion annually.
That sounds light. Way light.

So the CIS says $4.3M is estimated, but we don't know how (no one will admit) much of the $41.1B in bad debt accrued by hospitals nationwide is attributable to illegals.
Either way, treating illegal immigrants is expensive, but I'm not sure it would cover all the uninsured.
But I happen to believe it would cover the gunshot wounds, with some left over.
FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) estimates the cost for treating illegal immigrants at $11 Billion, which I think is closer to realistic.
 
Anyone who really cared about saving lives as well as reducing healthcare costs would be in favor of an all-out ban on tobacco products. According to the CDC, smoking is responsible for killing more than 500,000 people in the US alone - every year.

BUT, many, many people make a living from tobacco from the growers to the cig manufacturers, distributors, sellers and every single government agency that generates tens of millions or more of tax revenue. THAT is the reason smoking will always remain legal - even though it kills by the 100's of thousands, it brings in millions upon millions in revenue and taxes.

The people that say the type of BS in these articles don't give a damn about saving a single life. If they did, they would focus all their efforts on the big killers. No, this is, and always will be, about control. They don't want us armed, plain and simple, because if we're armed, we can't fight them. Sickening to me how many millions of Americans are all too happy to cast their vote for ANY damn POS politician that would dare to fight to disarm American citizens. Those type of people will never get my vote.

You got that right, it's all about money for the GOV no matter if it kills millions. Look at how many people die from misdiagnosis from doctors in America... but do you see anything being mentioned by our government to curtail this spiraling epidemic? No, but guns are the problem!!! What a mixed up world we live in.:mad::mad::mad:
 
Jerry Large
"I try to write about the intersections of everyday life and big issues. I like to invite readers to think a little differently. The topics I choose represent the things in which I take an interest, and I try to deal with them the way most folks would, sometimes seriously, sometimes with a sense of humor. My column runs Mondays and Thursdays".:p

I think this must be his humorous side coming out. Total idiot.
 
Anyone who really cared about saving lives as well as reducing healthcare costs would be in favor of an all-out ban on tobacco products. According to the CDC, smoking is responsible for killing more than 500,000 people in the US alone - every year.

BUT, many, many people make a living from tobacco from the growers to the cig manufacturers, distributors, sellers and every single government agency that generates tens of millions or more of tax revenue. THAT is the reason smoking will always remain legal - even though it kills by the 100's of thousands, it brings in millions upon millions in revenue and taxes.

The people that say the type of BS in these articles don't give a damn about saving a single life. If they did, they would focus all their efforts on the big killers. No, this is, and always will be, about control. They don't want us armed, plain and simple, because if we're armed, we can't fight them. Sickening to me how many millions of Americans are all too happy to cast their vote for ANY damn POS politician that would dare to fight to disarm American citizens. Those type of people will never get my vote.

Well said. I'd strengthen the argument about smoke. Washington , Oregon, Alaska, California, and Colorado laws allow smoking pot. Smoke is smoke. What sense does it make to ban tobacco and permit dope smoke. Who will become the target of government over reach when smokers of dope discover smoking causes injuries, diseases, and death?
 
Well said. I'd strengthen the argument about smoke. Washington , Oregon, Alaska, California, and Colorado laws allow smoking pot. Smoke is smoke. What sense does it make to ban tobacco and permit dope smoke. Who will become the target of government over reach when smokers of dope discover smoking causes injuries, diseases, and death?

Radioactive isotopes in tobacco, whereas not in marijuana...

I'm not a fan of marijuana in general, and I do smoke cigarettes.

Oddly enough, I don't have a problem with legalized marijuana... tax the bubblegum out of it. What folks do in there own home is none of my business, provided it doesn't affect my family.

I'm actually a proponent for the high CBD content marijuanas as medical aids (oils/edibles), but still should be taxed & regulated.

Marijuana is far far less costly from a public health perspective, as compared to alcohol.

Legalized, eliminates the "dealer hook" scam of "I'm all out, but give this or that a try...at the same price FOR NOW...", or of the dealer directly adding an addictive to the marijuana.

I find it EXTREMELY UNLIKELY meth head bobs & heroin janes just woke up one day and said "you know, I'd really like to try an extremely addictive drug and turn into a zombie waste walking water bag"...
 
I doubt that study would like to explain that the majority of those gunshot wounds are due to two main factors, gang violence in cities like Chicago and NY and the ladder portion, officer involved shootings of suspects. Odds are that little study doesnt mention that the primary cost is derived primarily from those two factors. ND's and self inflicted wounds only make up a fraction.
 
The costs of medical mistakes, malpractice (and the number of deaths) caused from such DWARF the costs of "gun violence", then there's automobile accidents and abuse that outstrip "gun violence"... all of which insurance companies foot the bill for, by way of jacking up premiums on consumers.


Illiterates, all of them.

:rolleyes:
 
Radioactive isotopes in tobacco, whereas not in marijuana...

I'm not a fan of marijuana in general, and I do smoke cigarettes.

Oddly enough, I don't have a problem with legalized marijuana... tax the bubblegum out of it. What folks do in there own home is none of my business, provided it doesn't affect my family.

I'm actually a proponent for the high CBD content marijuanas as medical aids (oils/edibles), but still should be taxed & regulated.

Marijuana is far far less costly from a public health perspective, as compared to alcohol.

Legalized, eliminates the "dealer hook" scam of "I'm all out, but give this or that a try...at the same price FOR NOW...", or of the dealer directly adding an addictive to the marijuana.

I find it EXTREMELY UNLIKELY meth head bobs & heroin janes just woke up one day and said "you know, I'd really like to try an extremely addictive drug and turn into a zombie waste walking water bag"...

My views are towards personal accountability and less or no government in my daily life. Having said that our societal structures require us to evaluate what is moral and ethical for the greater good. Comparing one moral choice against others only suggests one's choices may be stated, "I'm not like everyone," or "My choice isn't as bad as someone else ." So please smoke, inject, inhale, and drink and overeat and be willing to allow others, using your philosophy and values, to say our taxes and donations should go to people who choose to not inject, inhale, drink and overeat. Everyone sees to want others to accept and support their choices. By the way been homeless, in jail, liked drugs and cigarettes and cigars and could handle my liquor. No, not a felon with firearms. Just decided my personal choices were reckless to my own welfare. Being willing to practice gun safety decided to apply similar discipline to my other choices.
 

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