Why do we do things that are bad for us – or not do things that are good for us – even in light of overwhelming evidence?
As someone with a long career in pharmacy, I have witnessed some pretty dramatic shifts in public health behavior. But I won’t sugarcoat it. It generally takes years – or even decades – of dragging people, kicking and screaming, to finally achieve new and improved societal norms.
This plodding time course seems to be an innate human defect that existed long before the current-day pandemic mask and social distancing conundrums. Historically, people aren’t fond of being told what to do.
Notable Victories
Attitudes toward smoking have undergone dramatic changes over the past 50 years. Although there has been a gradual decline in smoking, from 42% of the American population in 1965 to the low teens today, there still are a lot of smokers in the U.S. – and premature deaths due to smoking. Even health care workers fall prey to this unhealthy and highly addictive habit.
There was a strongly held view that smoking was a personal decision that do-gooders and the government should keep their noses out of – until the issue was framed differently by studies showing harm caused by secondhand smoke. You are welcome to do what you want to yourself, but it becomes a horse of a different color when it affects others.
Today, public smoking restrictions have become commonplace. But this change in societal behavior didn’t happen overnight ..
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