{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02893380895759017, 'fraction_numerical': 0.008323424494649227, 'mean_word_length': 4.802298850574712, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Public Health Programs Key to Healthy Population, Lower Healthcare Costs

health has a long history of making a profound difference in the lives of Americans. Of the 30 years added to our average life span in the last century, 25 of these years can be attributed to public health initiatives. 1 Some of these achievements include the eradication of small pox, the dramatic decrease in infant mortality, and the acceptance by the American public of the health risks of tobacco use. When public health systems work well, people tend not to think about the fact that they exist. But when public health systems do not work optimally, there are costs, both in dollars and quality of life, incurred on an ongoing basis. In this issue brief, we will discuss the top preventable causes of death and illness in Indiana from a public health perspective. We will discuss their prevalence in Indiana, their associated costs, and actions that can be taken to address them, improving the health of the Hoosier population and lowering healthcare costs in the state. The nine leading preventable causes of death, collectively, accounted for about half of all deaths that occurred in the U.S. in 2000. Imagine the possibility of preventing one of every two deaths in our country. The three leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. are tobacco use; physical inactivity and poor diet; and alcohol consumption. As we will see, these three are particularly destructive in Indiana. The other major causes of preventable death include microbial agents (such as HIV, E. Coli, and tuberculosis), toxic agents and environmental exposure (such as air pollution, radon, and lead in drinking water), injuries, risky sexual behaviors, and illicit drug use. While death represents the worst outcome, it is only the tip of the iceburg. For every person who dies from these causes, many more suffer illness, reduced productivity, and diminished quality of life from them. The harm to individuals, families, and society is extensive. Tobacco use is the largest single cause of preventable illness and death in the United States, accounting for more deaths than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined. 4 It is responsible for 435,000 deaths per year among adults 2,3 and is known to cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, many types of cancer, pregnancy complications, and many other harmful effects. In Indiana, smoking costs the state over $2 billion in health care costs each year and an additional $2.5 …