ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- One in every five American adults (21 percent) say that fear of mad cow disease will change their eating habits, according to results of a recent Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Healthcare Poll.
Most (78 percent) of these people say that they would eat less beef while 16 percent of them indicate that they will stop eating beef altogether.
Nonetheless, a sizeable majority (88 percent) has confidence that the government will take necessary steps to avoid the spread of mad cow disease in the United States - 45 percent say that they have a great deal of confidence and 43 percent say that they have some confidence.
This nationwide poll of 2,378 U.S. adults was conducted online Jan. 6-8, 2004 by Harris Interactive for The Wall Street Journal Online's Health Industry Edition.
Opinion is split as to whether the government's rules for feeding cattle and inspecting beef have been too lax or were sufficient:
-- A 44 percent plurality states that the government's rules were too lax or
lenient;
-- 33 percent say the rules were sufficient;
-- 23 percent were not sure.
"If the people who believe they will eat less beef actually do so, beef sales will take a serious short-term hit, and sales of poultry, lamb, pork and fish will rise," says Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll at Harris Interactive. "However, if no further cases of mad cow disease are reported, eating habits are likely to return to what they were before very long."
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.
CenTrak Unveils Revolutionary BLE Multi-Mode Platform for Health Care RTLS Solutions
March 22nd 2024CenTrak, the industry leader in real-time location technology, introduces the groundbreaking BLE Multi-Mode Platform, setting a new standard for Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) in health care. Discover how this innovative solution enhances location data precision and streamlines operations for health care organizations.