Tragedy in Byron
The recent loss of four young people from Massachusetts at a family camp in Byron because of probable accidental carbon monoxide poisoning is a horrible reminder that this can take people in other seasons besides winter.
The electrical generator is not the source of the carbon monoxide. The gasoline engine connected to and turning the electrical generator was the source of the carbon monoxide because of its being located inside the building instead of outdoors.
Another form of carbon monoxide poisoning occurred in the past year in two southern Maine locations: one in an apartment building in Gorham, and the other at an inn in Ogunquit. Those were because of problems with leaks or the piping in the furnace. Very fortunately, quick thinking by an apartment resident and a guest at the inn prevented two disasters.
There have been debates in local town councils and the Legislature on the need of installing carbon monoxide detectors in homes, apartments and hotels. But there needs to be even more public awareness involving vendors, manufacturers, local, county and state law officials, EMTs, contractors, electricians, homeowners, lodging owners and landlords about the placement and operation of portable internal combustion engines powered with gasoline connected to electrical generators and not just those used for emergencies during the winter but also for weekend or vacation use at a remote camp in the summer or autumn.
A birthday and graduation celebration turned into a tragedy. My prayers and sympathies go out to the Wakelin, Powers and Norris families.
Dennis Marrotte
Westbrook
Cancer prevention
For nearly 30 years, the Prevent Cancer Foundation has been at the forefront of research, education, outreach and advocacy for cancer prevention and early detection. It is critical to our health that we focus more on stopping these diseases before they start, as well as detecting them early when treatment is most successful.
While we can appreciate Dr. Michael Noonan’s advocacy for healthy lifestyle choices that promote wellness, taking preventive measures also is very important — “ Our health care system’s false definition of wellness,” July 9.
Dr. Noonan is quick to point out that screenings such as mammograms are not “preventive care” but rather early detection. Yet the truth remains that most women of a certain age and average risk are still better off having an annual mammogram than not having one at all. And some screenings are preventive, such as colonoscopies that detect polyps before they develop into cancer or Pap tests that reveal precancerous cells in the cervix.
We all agree healthy behaviors such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, avoiding tobacco and wearing sunscreen are key components to disease prevention. Other steps to reduce your cancer risk include knowing your family history and getting recommended immunizations and screenings.
By focusing on prevention and early detection, we can prevent more than 50 percent of cancer deaths and shift from a system that focuses on treatments of diseases to one that focuses on health and wellness.
For more information on cancer prevention and early detection, please visit preventcancer.org.
Carolyn Aldige
President and founder
Prevent Cancer Foundation
Alexandria, Virginia
Guns, violence and the press
In a July 23 letter, Sarah Baldwin of South Thomaston raises an intriguing point. She states, in part, “unless the press is burying all the stories of everyday citizens who have thwarted bad guys with their guns, it seems to me our gun laws are lax.”
Much of the mainstream press does not report on this issue. There are publications that do. Several pro-gun publications print news stories every month from local media sources around the country of gun owners defending themselves. All are referenced with their source, and they are all media outlets or police reports. That means the stories can be confirmed or refuted. There are hundreds of these stories.
Additionally, there is a study by criminologist Gary Kleck of the Florida State University that showed there were 2.5 million incidents of GDU (Defensive Gun Use) by private citizens in 1993. Controversial? Absolutely. However, Kleck stands by his analysis today two decades later and has successfully refuted/defended his findings against his critics. The truth is out there.
Steven Zahm
Hermon
Missing gun stories
In the July 23 letters, Sarah Baldwin of South Thomaston wrote “unless the press is burying all the stories of everyday citizens who have thwarted bad guys with their guns.” Every monthly issue of The American Rifleman, The American Hunter and America’s 1st Freedom magazine contains The Armed Citizen, a page with six or eight stories of actual cases where this happened.
At the bottom of each page is this sentence: “Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts.” Other pages often contain similar stories in more detail.
One wonders why the media do not reprint or quote these cases.
Paul Bouchard
Orrington
Caregivers support
Family caregivers in Maine provided 165 million hours of care worth an estimated $2.2 billion to their parents, spouses, partners and other adult loved ones in 2013. This is according to AARP Public Policy Institute’s new report, “Valuing the Invaluable.”
As a long-term caregiver for my 92-year-old mother, I can attest to many of the findings in this report and look forward to hearing how the state can better acknowledge and support the nearly 200,000 Maine family caregivers mentioned therein.
Many Maine seniors rely on their monthly Social Security check as their only source of income, which usually means they do not have extra money to pay a caregiver, no matter how badly they might need one. This is often when a noble family member will step up to care for them, but that comes at a price, as well.
AARP notes that caregiving affects family caregivers’ physical and emotional health, finances and their jobs with more than half of family caregivers reporting that they are overwhelmed by the amount of care their family member needs.
As Americans live longer and have fewer children, the caregiver gap is widening: In the future, fewer family members will be available for older adults to rely upon for their everyday needs. It is critical we consider steps to provide more support to family caregivers in Maine.
Erica Magnus
AARP Communications Volunteer
Windham