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Feeling safe is an issue of paramount importance to us all in these changing times, especially after the September 11th attack on the USA. Reuters News Headlines on October 15th states that anxious New Yorkers turn to drugs, psychiatrists, therapists and anti-depressant drugs to help them deal with stress, anxiety and paranoia. Adding to the tragic events of September 11th and its after effects on the individual and national psyche, Americans are now dealing with a new threat to their safety with the Anthrax contaminated letters. Recently the topic of smallpox has being brought up by the media, adding to already high level of stress.
Before the recent attacks on black Tuesday, a conservative figure estimated that one in six people had a fear of flying. Since then, the number has risen dramatically. Gallup statistics from mid-October 2001 show that 68% of vacationers would choose to drive rather than fly. On October 22, the American Automobile Association officials said on average prices of gasoline have dropped about 20 cents from just a month ago, partly because people are nervous about traveling. The New York Times on October 20, 2001 reported that sales of Cipro in Tijuana, Mexico have increased tenfold in the last few weeks with American customers buying dozens of bottles of Cipro at a time, amounting to 1,000 pills or more.
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