Death is unavoidable fact of life. Understanding some of the controllable reasons of death can help people change their habits and lifestyle.
Main Causes of Death in the United States
The leading causes of death in modern-day US are heart disease, cancer, chronic airways disease, cerebrovascular disease and accidents. This is quite a change from the 1900s, when the leading causes of death were influenza and pneumonia, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal infections, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease.
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A Few Facts about Death
If a person decapitated, the head stays conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds thereafter. One in 200,000 high school athletes dies all of a sudden. 80 percent of all deaths in the US take place in hospitals.
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Death amongst Men in the United States
The statistics of death amongst men in the US can be astonishing. 307,655 men will die due to cancer; 449 from hypothermia; 207 from heat stroke; 1,737 from fire; 57 by falling from a cliff; 40 due to lightening attack; 23,898 due to Alzheimer’s disease; and 12,372 due to homicide.
Causes of Death amongst Different Age Groups
Amongst Whites aged 15 to 34 suicide is the leading cause of death; and from 35 to 65 heart disease is the leading cause of death. Amongst the Black population, suicide is the leading cause of death amongst people aged 15 to 24; HIV amongst ages 25 to 34; heart disease amongst people aged 35 to 44; cancer in Blacks aged 45 to 54; and heart disease in Blacks aged 55 to 64.
Facts about Deaths Caused by Drugs and Alcohol
One in four deaths is caused either due to drugs or alcohol. Since 1980, deaths caused due to drugs have actually doubled. Deaths caused by drugs are more in number than deaths caused due to suicide and car accidents.
Discretional Budgets, Taxes and Deaths in the US
In the US, 63 percent of the discretionary budget is spent on military and national security issues. This amounts to about $901 billion; and 37 percent of the budget is used for non-military and national security issues and amounts to about $520 billion. The amount keeps changing every year.
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Some Funny Ways to Die
People die in many ways, but sometimes there can be a hilarious angle to death too. Such as drowning while attending a lifeguards party or death by bestiality or even death during jury demonstration.
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Some Facts on Death Penalty
While it is a controversial issue, here are some facts on death penalty. The first execution in the US took place in 1608 when Captain George Kendall was executed for spying for the Spanish. The first woman to be executed was Jane Champion in 1632. In 1846, Michigan does away with the death penalty, but retains it for treason. In 1972, the US Supreme Court suspends death penalty, only to reinstate it in 1976. Since then, lethal injection is the most commonly used method for execution.
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Death and Facebook
More than 300 million people have died since the launch of Facebook in 2004. According to Facebook, 200,000 of its users die each year. Earlier when Facebook found out that its users had passed away, the site used to delete the accounts. However, after Virginia Tech shooting, Facebook allows other users to memorialize there dead friends.
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Drug Manufacturers Control Over US Health Industry
Many drugs being sold in the US have known dangers, but are still being prescribed and sold. For instance, Darvon, which is painkiller, has caused 589 deaths; Avandia used to treat diabetes can increase the risk of heart disease by 43 percent; and Yaz, which is a birth control drugs, has resulted in 50 deaths. 45 percent of people in the US die from prescription drugs and 39 percent from street drugs.
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Is Near-Death Experience a Fact?
3 percent of people in the US claim to have had near-death experience. 60 percent of people experienced peace and calm; 37 percent had out-of-body experiences; 23 percent claimed to have entered a dark tunnel; 16 percent said that they saw a bright light; and 10 percent said that they entered the bright light.
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Death while Working
Four times as many people have been hurt by animals than fire. This means that it is dangerous to work with animals. Many injuries occur while lifting, carrying and handling; and more people are hit by another person than they are hit by a car! Most fatal injuries occur in the service industry.
