I read a piece today by New York Times columnist John Tierney that discusses an upcoming book that argues a fog of hype surrounds the terrorism issue. Tierney quotes the author, John Mueller, an Ohio State political science professor, who estimates a 1 in 80,000 chance of death (presumably over a lifetime) from a terrorist act.

For comparisons, I found this site by the non-profit National Safety Council helpful:

• Narcotics and hallucinogens, 1 in 406
• Slip and fall, 1 in 6,278
• Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, 1 in 7,541
• Alcohol, 1 in 10,048
• Legal execution, 1 in 62,468
• Lightning strike, 1 in 80,000
• Terrorism, 1 in 80,000
• Dog bite, 1 in 117,127
• Fireworks discharge, 1 in 340,733

Broadly speaking, hard drugs kill more often than slip and falls. Drinking kills more often than lightning and terrorism. I’m more likely to be executed for a crime I’ve committed than die in a terrorist strike, and blowing myself up with an M-80 lags way behind.

The one that suprises me, though, is the accidental suffocation while sleeping. I had no idea, but plan to adjust my personal terror-alert level accordingly.