ENG215- Assignments and Rubrics

Student’s name: Truong

Professor’s Name:

Assignment 1: Research Topics with Explanation

April 16, 2012

1- Taxes on alcohol and tobacco should be increased to help pay for rising medical costs

Nowadays, we can see smokers and drinkers who are able to hazard their lives in addictions that led them to waste their money and their health in reality.

First, we can observe “the heaviest alcohol consumers are also the heaviest consumers of tobacco” or in another word "smokers drink and drinkers smoke."

Second, we can recognize that” the association between alcohol and tobacco use, possible mechanisms of their combined health effects, and some implications for alcoholism treatment.”

Third, some figures in researching show that “222 of 845 subjects had died over a 12-year period; one-third of these deaths were attributed to alcohol-related causes, and one-half were related to smoking “(1)

Finally, alcohol and tobacco both have little positive aspects in social formality compared with their negative ones as proved above so that “society has attempted to minimize the consequences of using both alcohol and tobacco through public policy actions, including health warning labels, restrictions on advertising, and age restrictions on use”.(2)

Hence, taxes on alcohol and tobacco should be increased to help pay for rising medical costs that is necessary to social security in taking care of health

2- Regulations regarding the use of cell phones while driving should be standardized

Distracted driving or wandering eye driving is a really serious problem in a lot of parts of the world including in the US. We can see via information channels, TV., or others; etc., thousands of people are killed or injured as well as their property is damaged in accidents caused by drivers or riders who are texting or talking on their cell phones. Hence the distracted driving laws that regulate the use of cell phones while driving in motor vehicles should be standardized in all of states in the US.

The first,” Cell phone distraction causes 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the United States every year, according to the journal's publisher, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.”
The second,
Drivers talking on cell phones were 18 percent slower to react to brake lights, the new study found. In a minor bright note, they also kept a 12 percent greater following distance. But they also took 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. That frustrates everyone.
The last,
Drivers talking on cell phones were 18 percent slower to react to brake lights, the new study found. In a minor bright note, they also kept a 12 percent greater following distance. But they also took 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. That frustrates everyone.
Finally, "If you put a 20-year-old driver behind the wheel with a cell phone, their reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old driver who is not using a cell phone," said University of Utah psychology professor David Strayer. "It's like instantly aging a large number of drivers." Hence, it‘d better drive without phone call if necessary, we should usea spare headsetor a hands-free device for our cell phone before traveling. 3- All states should require motorcyclists and passengers to wear helmets

As we know, helmetsprovide the best protection from head injury for motorcyclists and passengers involved in traffic crashes.so that I think all of people on motorcycles should be required to wear helmets on moving about in the streets.

First, we can get to the background of formulation and development of motorcycle helmet use
The history of motorcycle helmet laws in the United States is characterized by change. In 1967, to increase motorcycle helmet use, the federal government required the states to enact helmet use laws in order to qualify for certain federal safety programs and highway construction funds. The federal incentive worked. By the early 1970s, almost all the states had universal motorcycle helmet laws. Michigan was the first state to repeal its law in 1968, beginning a pattern of repeal, reenactment, and amendment of motorcycle helmet laws. In 1976, states successfully lobbied Congress to stop the Department of Transportation from assessing financial penalties on states without helmet laws.

No state has a universal bicycle helmet law. Only 21 states and the District of Columbia have statewide bicycle helmet laws, and they apply only to young riders (often riders younger than 16). Local ordinances in a few other states require bicycle helmets for some or all riders.

Second, we can refer to the US. Comparative law to understand more as follows

Laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet are in place in 19 states and the District of Columbia
Laws requiring only some motorcyclists to wear a helmet are in place in 28 states
There is no motorcycle helmet use law in 3 states (Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire)
Some bicyclists are required by law to wear a helmet in 21 states and the District of Columbia
There is no bicycle helmet use law in 29 states
Third,
Recent studies again confirmed that the use of helmets reduces the risk of mortality and severe head injury with motorcycle riders who crash, although the former effect may be modified by other crash factors such as speed.

In summary, we can see the speed of development which is extremely fast in almost aspects of social community in which we livein the 21st century. On the other hand, the more the speed of development is, the more the danger of life is, especially, in industrialized society motorcycles have improved a lot in the process of production in design and speed. I am sure that, safety helmet is a certain solution for all of motorcyclists and passengers on traveling.

References

(1) Hurt, R.D.; Offord, K.P.; Croghan, I.T.; et al. Mortality following inpatient addictions treatment: Role of tobacco use in a community-based cohort. JAMA 275(14):1097-1103, 1996

(2) Shiffman, S., and Balabanis, M. Associations between alcohol and tobacco. In: Fertig, J.B., and Allen, J.P. Alcohol and Tobacco: From Basic Science to Clinical Practice. NIAAA Research Monograph No. 30. NIH Pub. No. 95-3931. Washington, DC: Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1995. pp. 17-36

(3)www.fcpa-worldcompliance.com

(4)www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx

(5) www.iihs.org/laws/HelmetUseCurrent.aspx ·

(6)www.wanderersmc.com/laws/HelmetUseCurrent.aspx.htm