- Title: The last straw: Gainesville ban takes effect
Description: Essentially, the commissioners of Gainesville collectively voted to enforce a permanent ban against the use and distribution of single-use plastic straws in the city of Gainesville, Florida (effective January 2nd, 2020). The plastic straw ban is simply another step forward in terms of making Gainesville free of waste by the year 2040. Local businesses are ultimately forced to comply with the ban, otherwise they could potentially receive multiple fines and warnings. The goal of the plastic straw ban is to gradually reduce waste, hence contributing to a sustainable environment in the city of Gainesville.
Problem: the local businesses will suffer tremendously because they will be forced to explore different alternatives to plastic straws. If businesses and restaurants do not follow this ban, then they will undoubtedly face numerous fines (upwards of $250) and verbal/written warnings. Therefore, businesses will be placed into a position where they must increase their costs in order to abide by the newly enforced plastic straw ban.
Who has the problem: The residents of Gainesville because they will not be able to use or discover any plastic straws in local stores as well as restaurants. Also, the local stores will be negatively impacted since they won’t be allowed to sell single-use plastic straws any longer. Furthermore, the local business owners will be impacted in a negative manner since they will have to spend more money on alternatives to plastic straws.
- Title: ‘Next thing you know I’m addicted’: The effect of new vaping laws in Gainesville
Description: these new anti vaping laws in Gainesville (i.e. Tobacco 21 law in Alachua County) will prevent UF students under the age of 21 from purchasing tobacco or vaping related products. Students are becoming increasingly addicted to the concept of vaping or JUULing, which have resulted in a plethora of cases involving illnesses and even loss of life. In fact, the Florida Department of Health reported that there were approximately 52 illnesses and 1 death related to vaping in the state of Florida during the year 2019. A plethora of UF students and Gainesville residents are still increasing their use of JUULing despite the associated health risks. Ultimately, UF students can easily develop an unbreakable, yet unhealthy obsession with vaping once they are initially exposed to it.
Problem: tobacco and vaping related businesses or shops in Gainesville will ultimately lose an abundance of consumers since vaping is now prohibited for individuals under the age of 21. Vape shops could potentially face foreclosure due to the large drop in revenue because a plethora of UF students will stop purchasing JUULs and tobacco products.
Who has the problem: the local residents of Gainesville and UF students (under 21 years old) who indulge in vaping and tobacco use. Also, the Gainesville vape shops and areas (i.e. gas stations) which sell vaping related products to consumers in Gainesville will suffer revenue-wise due to a potential decrease in their consumer base.
- Title: Students express feelings on tobacco law change
Description: similarly to the previously discussed article, the tobacco law change has impacted an abundance of Gainesville residents. Essentially, the Alachua County made the controversial decision to increase the age requirement to purchase tobacco products, allowing only people 21 years of age or older to legally purchase these products from stores, gas stations, and vape shops. In fact, Alachua County became the first official county in the state of Florida to enforce this particular tobacco related law change. Since Alachua County has experienced as sixty percent increase in vaping amongst teenagers over the past couple years, they decided to partake in the Tobacco 21 movement to counteract this issue.
Problem: the Alachua County now requires vape businesses to receive their year-round licenses in order to distribute tobacco related products to consumers in Gainesville. UF and Santa Fe College students under the age of 21 are not allowed to legally buy tobacco which has resulted in an outroar from that specific population.
Who has the problem: vape businesses since they could face plenty of issues such as license suspensions and a significant loss of revenue. Alachua County residents and UF and Santa Fe College students who are less than 21 years old are experiencing growing levels of frustration and anger, which might not prevent them from continuing to purchase these products which are greatly detrimental to their health.
Link:https://www.alligator.org/news/students-express-feelings-on-tobacco-law-change/article_d3773200-2455-11e9-9160-f7467e6746d0.html
4. Title: Proposed healthcare solutions don’t work for Alachua County, experts say
Description: the Florida Priorities Summit recently commenced, with industry leaders in healthcare coming together in order to discuss potential alternatives to medicare. However, the Alachua County experts strongly believe that the proposed healthcare solutions would be counterproductive, having absolutely zero to minimal positive impact on the Gainesville residents without insurance or with inadequate health insurance. These experts concur that the Gainesville health system is quite "dysfunctional", but these solutions would have no impact on the uninsured residents. The article states that 16% of the Florida population and roughly 12% of the Alachua population have no health insurance. Moreover, there is only so much that the city of Gainesville can do in order to assist the uninsured residents. While a small percentage of the uninsured may discover some resources, there is not enough resources to cover the entire percentage of uninsured Gainesville residents. Ultimately, assisting those with poor economic circumstances is incredibly difficult, but efforts are still being made in order to provide help to some individuals in need of proper healthcare.
Problem: healthcare leaders are attempting to discover viable alternatives to medicare and present effective healthcare solutions. However, according to multiple experts, the likelihood of these healthcare proposed solutions of being successful and having a positive impact are slim to none. Providing effective healthcare to the uninsured will remain a significant issue for the foreseeable future.
Who has the problem: the residents of Alachua County as well as the students at the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College with no health insurance or a poor economic status.
5. Title: Dignity Village closing delayed through homeless transition
Description: Dignity Village in Gainesville is planning on closing relatively soon due to an immense lack of proper resources as well as staff. Dignity Village was essentially a homeless shelter designed to accommodate the homeless individuals in the city of Gainesville, housing well over two hundred residents. However, the decision to shut down Dignity Village was widely viewed as a necessary course of action because the living conditions are gradually worsening in that particular homeless shelter. Despite the intention to close Dignity Village, there are still concentrated efforts being made by the city officials to provide those homeless individuals with an improved homeless shelter with better living conditions. Nevertheless, the main objective is to put an end to the homelessness epidemic, which can be accomplished by continuing to find households for the homeless individuals.
Problem: the Dignity Village homeless shelter is facing imminent foreclosure, thus resulting in more than 200 Gainesville residents to become homeless, once again. The city officials will attempt to successfully move the Dignity Village population to another homeless shelter and eventually put them in houses someday.
Who has the problem: the homeless citizens of Gainesville because their primary homeless shelter will likely be shut down soon. The city officials because they are now forced to find the Dignity Village population of homeless people with a better homeless shelter. The people who previously ran or were employed at the Dignity Village homeless shelter will lose their jobs and enter the unemployment stage in their lives.
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