Poverty is Becoming a Larger Social Issue in the United States
Poverty has gone so far that now it is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. The reason is that this is a financial issue that has ever since in the U.S. Which in fact it is for sure affecting a lot of citizens and residents because it puts that population in poor conditions. This is a position that no individual would like to be in.
More and more people are falling under the poverty line and some of the consequences of this issue are becoming low-income, or becoming homeless. It is something that might get a person to look for extra resources one of the main resources. For example, financial assistance, because poverty has becomes a problem for those individuals or families to sustain themselves or to pay for the bills that come month by month.
The Social Justice Issues Regarding the Public Resources
Even paying rent becomes a struggle. A lot of individuals and families become homeless and have to look for shelter with a family member or a friend. Furthermore, since this can cause issues, this is why people have to rely on living on the streets.
This is why it has become a social issue, because there are many government assistance programs, like SNAP benefits (food stamps), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Medicaid, etc. However, when it comes to applying for these programs there are obstacles that intervene for some people. This can be in terms of the requirements that it needs in order for them to be approved, like needing identification, social security cards, and birth certificates. Which can make it more difficult for certain people in society to apply for these resources.
Poverty Is Now The Fourth Leading Cause of Death Rates
Living in conditions where people have no money and no other accessible resource, which should be a human right. However, the superiors like the government, have made it into a larger social injustice and now the statistics are going up in terms of poverty rates.
Now this issue has gone to be one of the leading deaths causes of the United States. More specifically, it is now the fourth cause, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association published research this week. It states that “poverty was linked to at least 183,000 deaths in the United States in 2019. Among people aged 15 or older, making inadequate income the nation’s fourth-leading mortality driver that year behind heart disease, cancer, and smoking.”
This research statement proves to us that now this issue is right behind the main death causes being heart disease, cancer, and smoking. These are incredibly huge causes of death and it’s unbelievable that now poverty has made it to the top next to these main causes.
More About The Statistics of This Issue
Also, a Professor of public policy at the University of California named David Brady made a few professional statements regarding this issue. He stated, “Poverty kills as much as dementia, accidents, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.” Also, he claimed, “Poverty silently killed 10 times as many people as all the homicides in 2019, and yet, homicide, firearms, and suicide get vastly more attention.”
These are greatly impactful statements because other common and more advocated-for issues do in fact get more spotlight and attention even though this issue of poverty is also very important. However, as Professor Brady said, it silently kills people. This is why there is not a lot of awareness and people don’t advocate a lot for this issue, even though it should get attention. In order to bring down the statistics of death rates regarding this issue.
Written by Jeanette Sanchez
Sources:
Common Dreams: “Policy Murder”: Research Shows Poverty Is 4th Leading Cause of Death in US
Market Watch: Poverty is associated with more fatalities, than guns or homicides, study finds
Health Day: America’s 4th Leading Cause of Death: Poverty
Truth Out: Poverty Is the 4th Leading Cause of Death in the US, Research Shows
Featured Image Courtesy of Paul Downey Flickr Page-Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Anna Wolf Flickr Page-Creative Commons License
