http://www.co.lewis-clark.mt.us/fileadmin/user_upload/Health/Documents/2011-health-assessment-insides.pdf
Herein lies this year's figures for residents of Lewis and Clark County. There is quite an extensive range of public health concerns addressed, which provide for some great insight into our health relative to the rest of Montana and the country. It is sobering that we score worse than many national averages on chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Furthermore, it is shocking to see just how many youth are lost each year in motor vehicle accidents (with or without the presence of alcohol) and other avoidable fatalities. This suggests a need for some introspection on the part of our communities to address root causes of these problems. It won't be easy to change ingrained norms (such as tacit acceptance of drinking while driving), but people do know the consequences of their lifestyle choices and for those wanting to improve their health, we should provide them with as many means to do so cheaply and conveniently.
