Americans opinion on main public health threat in the U.S. in 2024
As of August 2024, some 20 percent of Americans surveyed were of the opinion that opioids and fentanyl addiction is the number one public health threat in the U.S., a significant decrease from 24 percent in June 2024. Furthermore, obesity was viewed as a top public health issue by 19 percent of Americans in August 2024.
U.S. healthcare issues
The United States has the highest healthcare spending globally. The majority of Americans considered rising healthcare costs as the most important healthcare problem facing the U.S. in January 2023. While COVID-19 and cancer were ranked second on the list. Due to unfortunate mass shooting incidents in the country, gun violence is typically related to homicide and is not considered a healthcare issue. Although the most popular method of suicide among Americans who attempted it was a gun or firearm, the link between gun access and suicide is frequently ignored as a public health crisis.