Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2000)
Taxing beer could decrease gonorrhea rates ■A study asserting higher taxes on beer relates to lower rates of STDs is underfire by the scientific community By Adam Jude Oregon Daily Emerald A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that a higher tax on beer relates to a decreasing rate of gonorrhea, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases among young adults. Many, however, are skeptical about the CDC findings. “It sounds very peculiar,” Uni versity health educator Annie Dochnahl said. “Unless it was purposely set up to compare ap ples and oranges ... it’s crappy science.” The CDC report, “Gonorrhea Rates Decline with Higher Beer Tax,” is based on a national study of 36 states where the alcohol tax increased from 1981 to 1995. The results were compared to the changes in gonorrhea rates among people aged 15 to 24 in the states that raised the tax vs. states that did not, said Cynthia Glocker, spokeswoman for the CDC sexu ally transmitted disease division. Both Glocker and Dochnahl said that there are numerous stud ies that correlate alcohol con sumption with unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners. “Alcohol has been linked to risky sexual behavior,” Glocker said. “More particularly, alcohol is associated with high risk sex that can cause STD transmission more easily.” Glocker said that the beer tax increase is associated with a 75 percent decrease in the STD rate among 20- to 24-year-olds. “CDC researchers estimate that a 20-cent state tax increase per six-pack of beer could reduce the U.S. gonorrhea rates by almost 9 percent,” according to the report. CDC also reported that gonorrhea rates dropped in the states that in creased the legal drinking age. “The Department of Health and Human Services has highlighted higher alcohol prices and im proved enforcement of the mini mum legal drinking age regula tions as potential strategies to CClt sounds very pecu liar. Unless it was pur posely set up to compare apples and oranges... it’s crappy science. Annie Dochnahl health educator further reduce teenage alcohol consumption,” the report suggest ed. University Health Center direc tor Dr. Gerald Fleischli said there are many variables that must be considered when this type of study is conducted and it doesn’t appear that the CDC results reflect all of the possibilities. “I think this is a case where cor relation is not the same as causa tion,” Fleischli said. An editor’s note appears at the end of the CDC report that states there are limitations to the discov ery. “Given these limitations, the study findings ... are consistent with but do not prove a causal re lation between higher taxes and declining STD rates,” the footnote stated. Mrs. Oregon continued from page 1 against everybody,” she said. But Tarver-Thompson said the contest was about much more than just winning. She said contestants became friends over the weekend and en couraged each other to get through the stressful moments of the pageant. “We would all stop and pray to gether,” she said. “It was so neat to see all of us come together.” And there were some nerve wracking moments, not only dur ing the contest, but also before. Tarver-Thompson said she had a designer dress made to wear at the evening gown competition, but at the last moment, the dress, which she had spent more than $300 on, just did not work out. Tarver Thompson said it was just her luck that she happened to find a perfect replacement during a Good Friday sale for only $9.99. Tarver-Thompson said it was especially nerve-wracking not to be able to see the other contest ants on the stage; contestants waited backstage and were with out sound as each woman pre sented herself to the judges. But all the anxiety during the contest turned out to be worth it. “It was- just amazing. When they finally called me, I just raised my hands in the air and I just kept saying Thank you, Jesus,”’ she said. Heidi Albertson, the pageant’s stage director, competed in the pageant in 1998. Albertson helps the women prepare for the on stage appearances, by teaching them how to walk, turn and look at the judges. Albertson said she had a great experience as a contestant herself and plans to continue to be in volved in the pageant in the fu ture. “It’s not just based on your out side beauty,” she said. “It’s based on your marriage, your family and It’s here Now! JO Summer p Session Duck Cal. Summer session starts June 19. Pick up your free summer bulletin today in the Summer Session office, 333 Oregon Hall, or at the UO Bookstore. You can speed your way toward graduation by taking required courses during summer. University of Oregon Summer Session http://uosummer.uoregon.edu/ your community involvement. It’s not a beauty pageant.” Tarver-Thomspon said her wide involvement on campus and in the community has prepared her for her new role as Mrs. Ore gon. “I’ve done a lot of stuff and all that stuff has prepared me to be a spokesperson for Oregon, for the educational system,” she said. She said a number of sponsors, including the University’s School of Journalism and Communica tion and Mercedes-Benz, believed in her and made her participation possible. “I could not have done this without my sponsors,” she said. Tarver-Thompson’s husband, Jason Thompson, was with her all weekend, escorting her onto the stage and watching her from the audience. He also got to put the crown on his wife’s head at the end of the contest. “It was a great experience,” he said. “I was really happy to see that she was rewarded for all of her accomplishments.” Thompson said he thought all contestants were great and de serving to be in the competition, making it difficult to anticipate his wife’s win. “I really wanted to think, ‘Oh yes, she’s got it in the bag,’ but I re ally couldn’t,” Thompson said. Buenos Aires Lima Santiago London Dublin Paris Nice Copenhagen Stockholm Oslo Amsterdam Berlin Munich Zurich Istanbul LOW STUDENT AIRFARES Europe • Africa • Asia • South America More Than 100 Departure Cities! Eurailpasses • Bus Passes • Study Abroad universe •com IT’S VOUR WORLD. EXPLORE IT. www.StudentUniverse.com 800-272-9676 Rome Venice Florence Vienna Budapest Prague Warsaw Moscow Lisbon Madrid Barcelona Tel Aviv Johannesburg Delhi Hong Kong
