Study says Nevada is unhealthy, dangerous

CARSON CITY - Nevada is the third most dangerous state because of crime and the fifth worst in health, according to a publishing company's annual study.

Morgan Quitno Press says the rankings stem from various factors, including a high suicide rate and high percentage of smokers.

But the company says Nevada fared better in overall ''livability,'' placing 26th. A healthy economy, job availability and good weather were among the various ''livability'' factors.

Scott Morgan, an analyst and Morgan Quitno president, said the ''dangerous'' ranking is based on major crime categories such as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.

As bad as the news is, the third-worst ranking is an improvement from last year's ''most dangerous'' ranking. This year, New Mexico is worst, followed by Florida.

Las Vegas Metro Police Lt. Marc Joseph said Nevada's ranking could obscure more good news about crime in the state.

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

The healthiest-state ranking is based on 21 factors, among them access to affordable health care, health insurance coverage, infant mortality, suicides, smokers and drinkers, and seat-belt use.

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.

Palmer added that the highest suicide rate in the nation and a high percentage of smokers - second nationally only to Kentucky, a tobacco-growing state - are both big factors.

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

Morgan Quitno Press, which specializes in reference material comparing U.S. states and cities, markets its state-by-state rankings primarily to colleges and universities, government agencies and libraries.