<p>How many people drink McD’s coffee in a year, 5 years? Millions? 100’s of millions. 700 looks like a big number until you look at the context and complaints are not really defined. People complain about 1000’s of things both real and trivial and imagined. Yes, McD’s coffee is hot. That’s why I liked it. It did not take me a thermometer or very much brain power to figure that out. One should be careful around hot things. I learned that when I was around 5 and tried to fry myself an egg. Hot butter really burns.</p>
<p>If you make a consumer product that injures THREE people, you have to report it to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and will likely find yourself in a recall situation. Makes 700 look like a lot…
Look, I’m on the corporation’s side, but McDonald’s blew that one.</p>
<p>The McDonald’s case is apropos as an example of it taking a lawsuit to change behavior.</p>
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<p>I agree that it can take a lawsuit to change behavior. I recently was part of a lawsuit against a hospital … the point was to save other families from losing a loved one due to neglectful practices, not to make money. Unfortunately, it took the lawsuit to affect the needed changes (and after lawyer’s fees and the insurer reimbursing itself from the proceeds, my family member received very little money - yet considered the settlement a success due to promised changes). I can understand why a parent might want to sue to keep other families from losing their children … and perhaps to feel that some good came from the loss of their own child. In the Cornell case, it doesn’t sound to me like the remedy proposed by the parents is likely to keep kids from committing suicide. However, I can at least sympathize with their motives.</p>
<p>I may not agree with the decision to sue Cornell, and feel for this family for their attempt to deal with their pain, but I also agree with several posters who indicate this issue is not as simplistic as it may appear.</p>
<p>Suicide prevention research does indicate that removal of methods reduces suicides. For example; A decrease in barbiturate sales was paralleled by a reduction in suicides using this drug type. Despite a subsequent increase in suicides involving analgesics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines, the total drug related mortality declined after the withdrawal of barbiturates from the Swedish market. </p>
<p>oh and I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge this fall, there are emergency phones along with those posted signs to call for help.</p>
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<p>You can think whatever you want, but the fact remains: when these people were prevented from jumping, almost none of them later died by their own hand. The same phenomenon was observed in Britain in the 70s, when they began converting from coal gas ovens. The suicide rate plummeted. </p>
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<p>From this excellent article about the opportunistic nature of suicide:</p>
<p>[In</a> Suicide Prevention, It’s Method, Not Madness : NPR](<a href=“http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92319314]In”>In Suicide Prevention, It's Method, Not Madness : NPR)</p>
<p>good article LasMa, I have heard this from people who have considered suicide, that it is sometimes that truly passes and thus removing means can be critical.</p>