They can be data. They can also be rumors, exaggeration, and politically driven fears.
Without a clear way to find truth (very difficult in this day), it is very difficult to determine what is real and what is not.
Unfortunately, I have seen more and more emotionally driven agendas take the place of rational data-gathering over the last 50 years.
Health risks in Ohio may be real and serious. We just do not know.
We have been indoctrinated for decades about minuscule risks being huge, when they are not. We obsess over tiny risks, and ignore real, enormous risks.
Look in the mirror, lately? You seem to be ignoring an enormous risk here.