* *
A
Beth Gaiser
A few weeks ago I met a friend at a local pub to
catch up on life and shoot the breeze Crowded, as
this place was on this particular evening, it was im
possible to not overhear the conversation at the
next table, jammed up against ours It was a see
narlo which left me pondering this idea of risk re
duction and wellness in the 1990s in a society
teeming with problems ranging from the individual
microcosm to societal and even global dimen
sions
Eight or so women and men were huddled
around the table deep in debate about social ills
Between verbal dissertations of this problem or
that, another round was ordered —scotch and so
das, gin rocks twist, bourbon splash over round
paid for, cigarettes lit ready to go Empty twisted
boxes of Camel Lights and stray ashes littered the
table as the conversation continued Is it ethical to
buy tuna given that net fishermen and women en
snare dolphins and other marine life? (Copious
smoking during this one.) Can a pregnant woman
be accused of child abuse if she drinks or drugs?
Is nuclear power becoming obsolete given the tox
ic waste we cannot dispose of with a clean bill of
health9 Another round please Words become la
borious with alcohol's grasp and 6 or / drinks
down apiece, they got up and piled into their cars
and drove off
I wondered how many were fit to drive? I won
dered if they knew that cigarette smoking causes
more death and disability per year than homicide,
earthquakes and automobile accidents combined?
Not that one cause takes precedence over another
This is more an essay on risk perception or better
yet —how we select the causes we embrace and
deliver scathing critiques to the other side with
out a contemplative moment to ponder our own ac
tions, our own behaviors, our own choices And
our fears or concerns about this or that while over
looking that or this —
I went through a phase after watching a horror
movie where I double checked every door and win
dow at night in fear of "the slasher " At the same
time. I rarely used my seat belt because it was a
hassle" or it "wrinkled what I was wearing " How
ever, homicide was the cause of death in 18,000 in
stances in 1985 in the United States while traffic
accidents claimed 55,350 I still chose to drive and
without a seat belt at that! When adiusted for age,
traffic fatality becomes more gum. being the lead
mg cause of death among Americans ages 18 30
Add drinking and driving and the scenario be
comes worse
The nuclear power industry has been brought to
a virtual standstill from its earlier boon due to
public opinion, despite the fact that it has claimed
only 6 lives in accidents in the past 30 years in the
U S The same public, of that opinion, smokes bit
lions of cigarettes a year, but demands a ban on an
artificial sweetener because of a one in-a million
chance it might cause cancer, the same public that
eats meals laden in saturated fat, flocks to cities
prone to earthquakes and goes harigliding and
rock climbing while fretting about pesticides in
foods We humans are curious creatures
The problem with assessing real risk lies in how
the odds are perceived Everyone knows that when
the odds of something occurring are, for example
50 50, then on average, half the time the event will
occur But fewer realise that tfie average usually
nears 50 percent only after a large number of
events, small numbers are more prone to wide van
ations
This error in reasoning is the infamous gam
bier's illusion Outside the casino, the risk looms
In one study, victims of a flood thought that the
chances were remote that another would happen
again A cyclist choosing to ride at night without a
helmet or light is prone to the same error when
they only do this occasionally Alas for the mor
tality or humankind We have much autonomy over
our choices, but we choose to gamble regardless.
Perhaps the perception of risk has something to
do with our control over that risk An individual
might live in fear of flying in an airplane but feel
perfectly comfortable on the turnpike with a ciga
rette burning in the ashtray It has long been
known, much to the frustration of some risk ex
perts, that the public may be much more willing to
accept higher risks in activities over which they
can control such as smoking, drinking, driving or
skiing than in things which there is little control
industrial pollution, food additives and commercial
airlines
The feeling of control, however, lends false corn
fort In one study, tickets to a lottery were sold for
a dollar to people in an office Participants in one
group were simply handed their tickets, in the oth
er group the participants chose their own Before
the drawing, the ticket holders were asked if they
would be willing to resale their tickets. The aver
age resale price of the assigned tickets was $1 96,
the chosen tickets were averaged at $8 67 The
control over selection apparently made people
think then odds of winning were better An illusion
of control can actually make a dangerous situation
even more so An intoxicated drinker may assume
they are a better than average driver; the illusion
may mean an individual assumes they are less
prone to a heart attack, less prone to a biking acci
dent (hence, no helmet), less prone to develop lung
cancer less prone to become addicted or cherm
cally dependent to a drug
And finally, in assessing risk, the main provider
of information is often the one who skews reality
to the sensationalist extreme —the media In vying
for network ratings, homicides will beat emphyse
ma any day, a string of assaults and rapes by a
psychopath will make more headlines than an ac
quaintance rape The fact remains, more people
die by their own hand in smoking and more women
are raped by men they know each year than by
homicides or by a lurking stranger waiting for that
lone pedestrian
So —I suppose —in conclusion, remember the il
lusion of control as just that an illusion And con
sider your reasoning and think critically And do
the small things which matter on a moment by mo
ment basis, wear a bike helmet, buckle up, have a
designated driver, worry about toxins and quit
smoking and obey the speed limit and that way
you'll be able to continue to stand up and be
counted on issues like the rain forest, the dol
phms. global warming and the o^one layer
INSIDE
SAFE
GUARDING
YOUNG ONES
BUG OFF
OPEN WATER
SWIMMERS
AND MUCH
MORE...
/%gOM THE HIP
Summer
water
lowers...
did you Know that 7,000
people drown each year,
most ot them in lakes,
rivers and oceans rather
than pools9 If you plan
to go out water skiing,
windsurfing or sailing,
remember the majority
of drownings occur after
a few drinks Be smart
so you can enioy many
summer seasons! One
poorly |udged episode is
all it takes'
Road
trippers!
Have a safe time this
spring and summer Re
member the highways
are much more danger
ous than flying You may
trust your skills but you
never know when the car
next to you is driven by
an intoxicated operator
Wear your safety belt
and your chances of sur
vival are increased EX
PONENTIALLY
Yo
health
nuts!
We welcome a wide
range ol majors and spe
Cific health interests to
join us in health promo
tion on campus If you
are looking for fun, prac
tical experience, upper
division and/or practi
cum credits, consider
becoming a peer health
advisor! Stop by the
health education center
in the Student Health
Center for details
Campers,
backpackers
and outdoor enthusiasts
in general is your first
aid kit adequately
stocked with all the ne
cessities9 Stop by the
Student Health Center
Pharmacy and stock up
on your stash for those
summer |ourneys into
the wild and wooley
planet earth1