It’s a useful model for what could happen given what we’ve seen about ecocnomic hardship and suicide historically, but there are two things at play here.
It’s a projection of what could happen over the next ten years if we do nothing
1b) so what are we going to do about it? Is the solution just to go about life as normal? No! That would be doubly bad.
All models can be useful so as much as they lead to meaningful actions that change the course of our future. We’ve seen that a lot with COVID where dire models led to drastic measures and many lives were spared (so far).
It’s also still not data for your claims of what is happening presently with suicide. I’ve seen people time and time again push things like suicide or alcoholism to just open everything up as normal but have seen zero evidence beyond anecdotes. Is it alarmingly above normal levels? I don’t think anybody knows.
I spelled out secondary smoking regulations already: Regulations that do not permit smoking in common indoor spaces. Church buildings, offices, bars, airports, taxicabs, public transit…
Because of these regulations, those who wish to smoke find their liberty restricted. They must go to designated outdoor or patio spaces, drive their own vehicles, etc., if they wish to smoke.
Wrt the “deaths of despair” study–it is certainly very sobering. All the more reason to adopt mask regulations so as to reduce that third factor (fear/uncertainty).
Remember, I am not against reopening; I am against reopening without mask regulations and robust contact tracing. These would reduce fears about meeting with friends, working, being in public spaces, etc., and thus decrease the isolation and fear/uncertainty of disease that lead to deaths of despair. That study you cited makes the strongest case yet for mask regulations and robust contact tracing.
For example, I don’t think smoking should be forbidden in every bar. If people want to gather in a bar that allows smoking, they should be free to do so. No one is forced to go into a bar, and bars should be restricted to adults.
Do you think all bars should be smoke-free by law? If so, why, given that bar visiting is optional?
The highlighting the virus spike will only unnecessary scare people rather than properly advise them of the true risk from the virus. We know the virus is going to spike as it is highly contagious regardless of measures taken. These spike numbers of cases is not meaningful as it we need consider the demographic population that is getting the virus. We now have treatments to not only prevent the onset of severe symptoms but also treatments including dexamethasone and more coming along to treat those severely effected. We know that the vast majority of the healthy population are not susceptible to the virus. It is only those that are in high risk groups that need to be considered into these numbers. Almost all children and young adults are not effected by the virus and we now have better treatments for anyone experiencing severe symptoms.
The Dexamethasone doctors wrote that they believe that a cocktail of other drugs in combination with Dexamethasone will significantly improve the outcomes of those patients experiencing severe symptoms. This will further significantly reduce the mortality and hospital stay time.
Actually, most cities and states ban smoking in bars that are open to the public. Only private clubs can permit smoking or not as they choose.
What about the rest of the list, Vance? Church buildings, offices, airports, taxicabs, public transit… Should those who wish to smoke have restrictions on their liberty in those places?
I think all bars that cater to the public should be smoke-free indoors, just as churches, restaurants, offices, airports, hotel lobbies, and public transit should be.
If I were making the laws, I would allow bars to allow smoking. Smoking is a strong addiction, and I have compassion for those people. They ought to have a place they can mingle and socialize. I also would not have closed those small glass rooms in the Atlanta Airport where the addicts go to get a smoke. Those rooms did not hurt anybody.
But this seems to be off-topic, since you are conflating laws and guidelines.
The guidelines of the CDC are not laws. They are not mandatory. They are one piece of information that local officials, including governors, use in making decisions.
What relevance do laws have in a discussion of discretionary guidelines?
No cases of coronavirus have been linked to two Missouri hairstylists who saw 140 clients last month while symptomatic, county health officials said. Both stylists worked at the same Great Clips location in Springfield. The clients and the stylists all wore face coverings …
Just dangerous second-hand smoke. Workers should be reasonably protected from dangerous conditions.And they aren’t usually in a position to get work somewhere else. That’s why we have OSHA.
