Study says Nevada is unhealthy, dangerous

Monday, April 24, 2000 | 11:46 a.m.

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Those of us living in Nevada are doing so at our own peril, new rankings of the state argue.

According to studies by Morgan Quitno Press, the state is the third most dangerous because of crime and fifth worst in health because of a variety of factors, including the nation's highest suicide rate and high percentage of smokers.

The publishing company, which specializes in reference material comparing U.S. states and cities, annually publishes the list of most dangerous and most healthy states. The rankings are marketed primarily to colleges and universities, government agencies and libraries.

Scott Morgan, an analyst and Morgan Quitno president, said the ranking doesn't reflect the overall crime rate -- just six major crime factors: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.

Nevada's ranking is heavily influenced by the dominance of Las Vegas in the state's overall population. An estimated 1.3 million of the state's 1.8 million people live in Clark County.

Other states, by comparison, have larger percentages of their populations living in rural areas, which tend to have lower crime rates.

As bad as the news is, the third-worst ranking represents some good news -- last year's ranking put Nevada as the nation's most dangerous state. This year Florida and New Mexico top the crime list at second worst and worst respectively.

Metro Police Lt. Marc Joseph said the ranking could obscure more good news about crime in Nevada.

"Overall crime is down for the entire year of 1999," he said. The region also has enjoyed steadily dropping crime rates for at least five years, Joseph said.

"You had a 16 percent less chance of becoming a victim of crime than you did in the same period of 1998," he said. Compared with 1994, people are "38 percent less likely to be a victim."

"We pride ourselves that Las Vegas is a safe place to reside and a safe place to visit," Joseph said.

Nevada's not just dangerous, but it also makes you sick, Morgan Quitno says.

The healthiest-state ranking is based on 21 factors, among them access to and affordability of health care, percentage of the population with health insurance, the infant mortality rate, the suicide rate, the number of binge drinkers, seat-belt use and percentage of smokers.

The ranking for Nevada -- 46th in the nation -- is better than last year, when the state scored 47th.

Morgan said health insurance, the number of smokers and the suicide rate all play a factor in putting Nevada near the bottom of the list.

"We have some serious health problems in Nevada," agreed Jean Palmer, health education manager for the Clark County Health District.

The highest suicide rate in the nation is one problem, she said.

The high percentage of smokers -- second nationally only to Kentucky, a tobacco growing state -- is a huge risk factor that contributes to a host of other diseases, Palmer said.

State and regional government agencies and private groups have targeted both issues for improvement, she said.

But Palmer said other factors could make the state look worse than it really is. For example, the state and the region are home to a growing number of older people who come here to retire.

Those folks are more likely to have heart and other medical problems, Palmer said.

In a few areas, Nevada actually is better than the national averages -- for example, in terms of the infant mortality rate, levels of exercise and numbers of overweight people, Palmer said.

She said the health district and other public and private organizations are working to make Nevada a healthier place.

"There are some things going on. A whole lot more needs to be done," Palmer said.

In a third ranking that Morgan Quitno released, Nevada fared better. In overall "livability," the state placed 26th -- almost in the center of the pack.

Livability included some of the statistics in which the state shines -- among them, a healthy economy and availability of jobs. Weather -- the sunny kind that smiles on the state -- also was one of the 43 factors studied for the livability index.

A Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman cited some of the same factors in defending the state and region.

Trish Williamson, the chamber spokeswoman, pointed out that Inc. Magazine for the second straight year listed Las Vegas as the best place in the country to start a small business.

And in November 1998 Fortune magazine listed Las Vegas as the best place in the country to have any kind of business.

Williamson said that shows that a lot of people like living and working here. And with 30 million visitors annually, people like to visit as well.

"It tells me that things are great in Las Vegas," she said. "Business is booming, the quality of life is very good here.

"There are negative factors wherever you go," Williamson said. "The many things that this wonderful city has to offer far outweigh the negative things that may be encountered.

"I like this place more than any other place I've ever lived, and I've lived all over the world," she said. "Everything about it is positive, in my opinion."

Launce Rake covers growth issues for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-4127 or by e-mail at lrake@lasvegassun.com.