Why is life expectancy way lower in the US than the other civilized countries

[CKwi88]

(09-01-2023, 03:47 PM)basballguy Wrote: Not enough people die from these things to move the needle 5 years.  And "lack of universal healthcare" is not a mortality stat tracked anywhere that I can find.  Curious if this is speculation (which we all do) or if you came across some hard data.

I did some actual napkin math based upon 

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/guns/data-details/#:~:text=Gun%2Drelated%20assault%20death%20rates,males%20age%2075%20and%20older.

and 

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/drugoverdoses/data-details/

If you just eliminate guns and opioids (and other substances) from the world as if they never existed, it would move the needle MAYBE a year?  

That's an oversimplification. The argument isn't that the three bullet points are the cause of death, but that they contribute to a shorter life expectancy. 

Your life can be shortened by drugs/gun violence/lack of universal health care even if they are not the direct cause of death via overdose/murder etc.