Tag: New York Health

New York’s Pedestrians Suffer Numerous Bike Accidents

September 20, 2011

A recent analysis published by Hunter College professors revealed that more than 500 New York City residents suffer severe injuries after being struck by cyclists. Though the number seems small in comparison to the number of pedestrians injured by cars, it has been growing rapidly over recent years.

The survey studied hospital data from the State Department of Health gathered between 2007 and 2010. Results showed that 1,000 pedestrians were treated at hospitals every year after being hit by cyclists, 55% of whom were residents of New York.

An additional study, conducted by Professors Peter Tuckel and William Milczarski, found that the number of pedestrians treated in hospitals annually was not much higher than 1,000. Dr. Tuckel explains that these figures represent “the tip of the iceberg,” because they list only the pedestrians who ended up at the hospital, and not those who then visited a doctor’s office or clinic.

New York’s Smoking Rate Down to 14%

September 18, 2011

Recent studies have indicated that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-smoking campaign may actually have had an effect on the city.

In 2010, 14% of adults said they were smoking, down from 22% in 2002. In other words, the number of cigarette smokers in New York has been reduced by 450,000. City health officials have also noted that the smoking rate amongst public high school students has dropped 9% over the past decade.

“A 7% smoking rate among kids- holy cow,” Russel Sciandra said to the New York Times. “Having this new generation coming up with much lower smoking rates than you’ve ever seen historically is what’s really pulling down the rate, and of course that promises great things for the future.”

In 2003, Mayor Bloomberg banned smoking in bars and restaurants, and in May of last year the ban was put on parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas as well.