Watching the World
Religious Confidence Declines
According to a 1986 Gallup poll, Americans have more confidence in the military than they do in organized religion, reports The New York Times. Confidence in the military was indicated by 63 percent of those interviewed, but only 57 percent had confidence in religion. The latter figure marks a 9-percent drop from the 66 percent polled in 1985 who had confidence in religion. Why the sharp change in the public’s trust? The Times reports that Andrew Kohut, president of the Gallup organization, “attributed the decline to the increased involvement of churches in controversial issues.” He said: “Increasingly, religious figures and institutions have become controversial and more political.”
Eat Your Oatmeal!
Mother said it was good for you, so, like it or not, you ate it. Was she right? New research shows that evidently she was. Scientists have found that by adding small amounts of oatmeal to low-fat diets, people who must regulate their fat intake can experience an even greater reduction of cholesterol levels. Reporting on the results of a study involving 208 patients, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association noted that after six weeks on a low-fat diet, cholesterol was reduced by 5.2 percent. However, adding oats to the same six-week diet brought an added 2.7-percent reduction for those using oat bran and a 3.3-percent reduction for oatmeal eaters.
More Blood Risks
Stored blood carries the risk of being contaminated by fungus that has developed in plastic containers. This came to light recently in Brazil when the National Secretariat of Sanitary Vigilance took steps to halt the production of the plastic containers because of lack of hygiene, asepsis, and quality control on the part of certain manufacturers. The governmental action was considered appropriate and long overdue. The Secretariat’s president, Mr. Luiz Felipe Moreira Lima, raised the question: “How can it be that for all these years nobody saw this?” How many thousands of people have been transfused with fungus-contaminated blood is anybody’s guess.
Unusual Measures
Fear of AIDS has led to some new and unusual measures for preventing the spread of the deadly disease in Italy. La Tribuna, an Italian newspaper, reports that prostitutes in Pordenone and Treviso have been given printed tracts that explain in clear terms how AIDS from sex can be avoided. The tract, however, which is published by the Committee for Civil Rights of Prostitutes, is not intended for their use but for the use of prospective clients who may be potential carriers of the disease. The tract explains that it is the prostitute who fears contracting the disease and who will refuse a client if appropriate protective measures are not taken. AIDS cases in Italy have been doubling every eight months.
Pollution Kills
About 30 tons of chemicals from a Swiss chemical plant were accidentally washed into the Rhine River last November. The International Herald Tribune reported that an estimated 500,000 fish of 34 different species were killed. But the disaster was not limited to fish. According to the French daily Le Figaro, many water birds died as a direct result of the river’s chemical pollutants. “Dozens of dead herons and grebes were picked up. Diving ducks that feed on shellfish have been poisoned, as well as herbivorous swans. All of this proves that pollution affects nature at all levels.” It has been estimated that it will take ten years for the Rhine to recover its ecological balance.
Mimicking TV Violence
Shaka Zulu, a controversial television series, has caused the days of the spear and shield to be relived by South Africa’s youths, notes an article that appeared in a supplement to the Natal Witness, a South African newspaper. “Both black and white boys—and girls—are crazy with the new game” of acting out the TV series Shaka Zulu. “Before it hit the screens, kids were already playing . . . violent games,” explains Khaba Mkhize, author of the article, but now “groups of young boys and girls ‘attack’ each other with make-do spears and cardboard shields the same way the actors do.” The result is a growing list of injured people. Regarding the effects of TV violence on today’s youths, one official noted: “As they grow to adulthood they will have been trained to be society’s Shakas and Rambos.”
Drinkers’ Health Costs
“Almost 10% of Ontario’s health care budget” of about $10 billion (Canadian) is related to alcohol, reports the Canadian periodical The Journal, published by the Addiction Research Foundation. Other reported statistics are: 84 percent of Ontarians drink occasionally, and 49 percent of all drinkers imbibe “five or more drinks at a sitting,” which is an amount “detrimental to physical, social, or mental well-being, or all three.” A sobering statistic is that in a two-year period “6,300 deaths in Ontario—close to 10% of all deaths—were alcohol-related,” concludes the article.
Too Fast
In the Federal Republic of Germany, some 23,000 road-maintenance workers have complained about irresponsible drivers. “Drivers shoot past road-work sites at 170 km (105 mi) per hour without a care in the world,” said Josef Hilgers, chairman of their association, in Cologne. Ten workers were killed last year and several dozen injured, reports Süddeutsche Zeitung. This, together with other hazards, such as high noise levels and air pollution, prevents almost all workers from staying on until retirement age.
Other European countries also agree that fast driving is a serious problem. A new law in Italy stipulates fines of about $575 (U.S.) for motorists and approximately $1,150 for truck drivers who exceed speed limits by more than 10 km (6 mi) per hour!
Ledger of Crime
The ethics of a 46-year-old homeless man arrested for riding a stolen bicycle baffled the Tokyo police. His seemingly minor offense mushroomed when police discovered two notebooks the man was carrying. Asahi Evening News says the notebooks were “meticulously detailed and neatly handwritten” by the thief himself and listed some 100 thefts that netted over 1.5 million yen ($9,400, U.S.). Explaining the reason for logging his crimes, he said: “When I was arrested once before, I couldn’t remember all the details of what I’d done and caused inconvenience to the police officers in charge. I vowed, there and then, not to let that happen again.”
Germany’s Aged
Are there many people still living who were born before 1914? Although their numbers are dwindling, consider figures from just one European country. West Germany has 1.8 million people over 80 years of age and 146,000 over 90, according to a 1986 study by Professor Ursula Lehr and published in the German magazine Aktiver Lebensabend.
Infection Fighter
Why is cranberry juice effective in fighting urinary-tract infections? Dr. Kathryn Schrotenboer, writing in Family Circle, explains that it was formerly thought that the chief effect was to inhibit the growth of bacteria by acidifying the urine. However, studies at the Youngstown State University in Ohio have shown that, in addition, it actually prevents bacteria from affixing itself to urinary-tract tissue. While its healing properties may not be as effective as antibiotics in cases of acute infection, microbiologist A. E. Sobota claims that drinking 12 to 15 ounces (0.3 to 0.4 L) of juice daily will help to “wash out” bacteria in the urine. In support of Sobota’s findings, Dr. Schrotenboer suggests that drinking two or three glasses of cranberry juice a day “may ward off recurrent attacks of cystitis.”