Since 2011, driving-under-the-influence-related crashes and deaths have decreased by more than 10% in Pennsylvania. Despite that decline, there were still 345 deaths due to alcohol-related crashes in 2015 and nearly 45,000 DUI arrests the next year.

The current laws didn't keep Thomas Gallagher Jr. from driving in 2014 after two DUIs and with his license suspended. That July, Gallagher was involved in a crash that killed 18-year-old Meredith Demko of Lancaster County. Gallagher's blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit and he had heroin in his system at the time. We will be joined on Wednesday's Smart Talk by Meredith's parents -- Chris and Susan Demko. The Demkos have worked closely with legislators in crafting DUI policy and have been sharing their story to raise awareness of the problem. They are the founders of Pennsylvania Parents Against Impaired Driving.

State Senator Scott Martin (R-Lancaster Co.) has introduced a series of bills that would bolster the state's DUI laws in an effort to reduce those numbers even farther. One proposal would extend the minimum sentence for two or more DUIs from 10 days to two years in prison. Another bill would charge offenders with homicide if their DUI crash results in the death of others.

Martin appears on the program to parse out the bills and explain why he feels current laws are inadequate in curbing drunk driving.

Also, the Greater Washington Board of Trade is a development agency promoting business growth in the DC region, including Suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. GWBT president and CEO Jim Dinegar recently spoke at Penn State-Harrisburg about adopting "smart cities" principles to create networks of communities through information and communication technology and the use of "the internet of things" to create modern and sustainable community models.

Jim Dinegar is on Wednesday's Smart Talk to discuss how these principles can be implemented in our region to cultivate viable business structures and retain Central Pennsylvania's workforce.

Taxpayers may find this hard to believe but the tax burden on Americans is one of the lowest among the 35 richest countries in the world. Then, compare the U.S. to France where the tax burden is about 50% of income and profits.

At the same time, the U.S. has the most complex tax code in the world with 73,000 pages of IRS regulations. Last year, Americans spent over six billion hours filing their taxes. In the Netherlands, the average filing time is 15 minutes.

Some tax deductions that Americans use have been eliminated in other countries. For example those that got rid of mortgage interest deductions have higher rates of home ownerships than the U.S.

American companies exploit loopholes and almost never pay the 35% corporate tax rate. Apple, for example, paid zero tax on an income of $74 billion by relocating to Ireland.

These are all findings of best-selling author and Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid in his latest book, A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer, and More Efficient Tax System.

The book is very timely as the Trump Administration has just released a few details of a tax reform plan.

T.R. Reid joins us on Tuesday's Smart Talk.

The American Lung Association recently released their 2017 State 0f the Air report evaluating air quality in communities across the country. The findings demonstrate some promising trends.

The number of Americans regularly exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution has decreased by a quarter since 2012 and the successes linked to provisions in the Clean Air Act of 1963.

The report also raises some concerns; 40% of Americans live in areas with dangerous levels of ozone and particulate pollutions. Southern California stands out as particularly unhealthy.

In our region, Lancaster County saw a passing grade for the first time in 18 years. The Harrisburg-Lebanon-York metro region saw an improvement - from 9th to 22nd on the list of worst in the US for fine particle pollution.

Smart Talk breaks down the report to examine the source of the pollution and what can be done at home, in Harrisburg and in Washington to maintain clean, healthy air.

GUESTS:

- Kevin Stewart - Director of Environmental Health, American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic

- Dr. Gisoo Ghaffari - allergy, asthma, immunology specialist at Penn State Hershey Medical Center; board member, Pennsylvania Allergy Asthma Association

Also, industrial hemp cultivation has been illegal in the commonwealth since 1937. Late last year, State Agricultural Secretary Russell Redding signed off on a pilot program that will research hemp growth for commercial applications. This is not the smokable marijuana strain, but its impotent cousin with many practical uses.

Papers, rope, textiles and industrial lubricants are some products of hemp; hemp oil can be used for cooking. Smart Talk examines Pennsylvania's policies towards hemp, what cultivation of the crop could contribute to the state's agricultural economy and why hemp carries the stigma that it does.

First the good news -- close to 90% of Pennsylvania students are graduating high school, more than 70% are continuing their education beyond high school and test scores ae rising in some key areas. At the same time, Pennsylvania schools are facing challenges such as budget pressures, pension costs, high poverty rates and finding fulltime and substitute teachers.

Those are a few of the findings of a consortium of state education organizations that released a 2016-2017 State of Education Report this week. The report was compiled as "a barometer of not only the key indicators of public school performance, such as standardized test scores, but also the timely challenges that public schools are facing and how they are coping with them."

The comprehensive study is compiled by surveying chief school administrators from Pennsylvania's public school districts, career and technical centers and intermediate units. It looks at several different metrics; the demographic makeup of the state's K-12 students, student achievement, the challenges facing administrators, school finance, class size and others.

On Thursday's Smart Talk, we'll break down the findings of the study with Nathan Mains, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, John Pulver, Associate Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators; Tom Gluck, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units; Dr. Paul Healey, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Principals Association and Dr. Mark DiRocco, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.

After a decline in crime over the past three decades, violent crime increased by more than 10% in the nation's 30 largest cities in 2015 (the last year for complete statistics). One city -- Chicago -- accounted for 44% of the higher number of violent crimes. Chicago had 762 murders -- more than twice as many as any other city. Meanwhile, there were over five million individuals who were the victims of crime.

Whether crime rates have been rising or falling doesn't matter to the people who were victimized or their families. Every one of those five million people or their families have to deal with the fallout from the crime committed against them.

Crime victims have many more rights and services available to them today than the victims of 30 years ago.

But is it enough and what do they want and need?

Pennsylvania Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm appears on Wednesday's Smart Talk to tell their stories.

Also on Wednesday's program, Mahatma Gandhi is revered around the world for his non-violent philosophy of passive resistance to bring change. Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi is a peace activist, author, journalist and agent of change himself.

Arun Gandhi will lead a keynote conversation May 4 at the "Around the Table" event hosted by Advoz, an organization based in Lancaster, dedicated to resolving conflict and building community through face-to-face dialogue.

Dr. Gandhi latest book was published this week. Its titled The Gift of Anger and Other Lessons from My Grandfather Mahatma Gandhi.

Dr. Gandhi discusses peace in a violent and divided world and what the next generation can do on Wednesday's Smart Talk.

April is Autism Awareness Month.

Parents of youths diagnosed on the autism spectrum face challenges when it comes to the everyday routine of raising and educating their children. Often their children find typical activities difficult - school, sports, scouting, and even basic social interactions.

There are many resources for parents to access - public and private agencies, academic aids and support groups. Tuesday's Smart Talk includes a conversation with a few parents of autistic children about the successes and the lessons learned from raising a child on the spectrum.

We will be joined by Rebecca Mann, vice president of operations for NHS Education and Autism Services, an agency that provides support services to families with autistic children and Regina Wall, Director of Autism Services for the state's Department of Human Services.

Also, the Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region holds its 2017 Annual Civic Event Tuesday night by honoring first responders. Appearing as part of the "Celebration of Service" is Daniel Rodriguez from the New York Tenors and also known to many as the 9/11 N.Y.P.D. Singing Policeman.

Rodriguez and the Salvation Army's Director of Philanthropy Kathy Anderson-Martin join us on Tuesday's Smart Talk.

The hostilities of the Korean War ended in July of 1953. Ever since, America has maintained a military presence at the demilitarized zone on the 38th parallel dividing North and South Korea, ensuring the security of our South Korean allies. This is because, technically, the Korean War is still on. There never was a peace treaty ending the three-year war.

In the ensuing years, the Kim family solidified their position as the rulers of North Korea, enacting policies that curbed development that led to a famine. Though North Koreans live under an authoritarian dictatorship that has ingrained them with a God-like reverence for the ruling family, there is still a rich history and culture north of the 38th.

A new American administration means new policies in dealing with North Korea, and in recent weeks the tensions between the two countries have been escalating steadily.

Smart Talk will talk about the people of North Korea, that nation's role in the global community and what the future of US/North Korean relations might look like. Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, an Associate Scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia will recount his visits to North Korea and paint a picture of North Koreans often ignored in American media.

Also, The Trump Administration has made it clear it intends to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement - the united effort of 195 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally. This has scientists flummoxed.

A campaign has begun in Pennsylvania to enact greenhouse gas reduction measures aligned to state standards. In effect, if the US is committed to withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, the state would adopt the agreement's provisions.

Widener University Commonwealth Law School Scholar-in-Residence and Professor of Sustainability Ethics and Law Donald Brown has written extensively on conservation and the morality of environmental consciousness. Brown will join us on Monday's Smart Talk to discuss responsibilities, personally and nationally, to preserving the environment.

Over the years, you have told us that some of your favorite Smart Talk shows are the ones that focus on spring time gardening and planting. And why not? The program reminds everyone that the long winter is behind us, spring and warmer weather are here and you can get a few great tips too.

March and most of April were warmer than usual so the early blooming flowers and trees got a head start - despite super snow storm Stella.

Early May is a good time to think about annual flowers, vegetable gardens, trees, shrubs, and your lawn.

Pests that can take a toll on your plants are also starting to get rejuvenated too so you may need to think about your strategies for dealing with them as well.

Friday's Smart Talk features Erica Jo Shaffer, the nursery manager at Highland Gardens in Camp Hill who will share her knowledge and expertise on a variety of questions.

Erica has many tips to pass along when it comes to flowers, gardens, vegetables, trees and grass.

So what questions do you have? Call 1-800-729-7532 between 9 and 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Also, send photographs or what you've grown to WITF's Facebook page so everyone can enjoy them!

Legislation that resurrects mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug and violent crimes is being considered at the state capitol. The proposals are currently before the House Judiciary Committee. Mandatory minimum sentences were first introduced in the 80's and 90's to combat a crime wave when crack cocaine was at its height. But critics then and now argue they restrict judges' discretion and increase prison populations and costs.

The current bills, introduced by Republican Representative Todd Stephens of Montgomery County, would enforce mandatory sentencing for specific drug crimes and violent crimes and crimes committed against the elderly and young children. Stephens touted the bills as key weapons in fighting the opioid crisis, telling The Morning Call: "We are investing a lot of money in [this] opioid epidemic. Part of that equation has to be cutting off the supply."

Opponents, like Democratic Allegheny County Representative Jake Wheatly predict this could fuel a prison crisis, saying the bills could result in "an epidemic of people going to jail."

Representative Stephens and Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan appear on Thursday's Smart Talk to discuss the merits of reinstating mandatory minimum sentencing provisions. Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel and Kevin Ring, President of Families against Mandatory Minimums talk about their objections to mandatory minimum laws.

Pennsylvania set a record low for the number of traffic deaths last year. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation released 2016 statistics this week that indicate 1,188 fatalities were recorded on Pennsylvania roads last year - the least since records began being kept in 1928..

"Our biggest priority is to keep the public safe through innovation, roadway improvements, and educational outreach," Governor Wolf said. "As fatality numbers continue to trend downward, we still need to change driver behavior, keeping in mind that each person killed in a crash is a member of someone's family."

PennDOT has been promoting traffic safety with their Strategic Highway Safety Plan, investment in safety improvement programs and new methods of recording and studying crash data. Rich Kirkpatrick, PennDOT's press secretary will join Smart Talk to discuss these programs and how they are facilitating safer driving.

Professionals treating substance addiction will say the easy part is getting the patient detoxified. Keeping the addict clean is the hard part. Dr. Scott Bunce is an associate professor of psychiatry at the Penn State Hershey Neuroscience Institute at the Penn State University College of Medicine.

"We've been able to safely withdraw people from substances of abuse since the 1980's. The real problem lies in the weeks after residential treatment when they go back to their homes and neighborhoods and have a high possibility of relapsing," he says.

Bunce is currently researching physiological markers to detect an opiate addict's predilection for relapse. The idea is to administer a simple test - something akin to a quick blood pressure cuff, a thermometer or a basic blood test. The test would indicate that the addict has a predisposition to use drugs after treatment.

It is a complex proposal, questioning a person's ability to grasp their own free will versus congenital programming driving a person towards substance abuse. It is an important paradigm to define in this era of opiate abuse; Dr. Bunce will join Smart Talk to discuss his research and how it can help with opiate abuse treatment in Pennsylvania.