Commentary: Accidental injury leading cause of death for many

Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 23, 2016

By Susan Johnson

What is the fourth leading overall cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death for those ages 1 to 44?

You might think it was cancer or another illness, but the surprising answer is unintentional injuries and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost 40 percent of unintentional injury deaths are preventable.

The costs are high. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the estimated national cost of unintentional injuries in 2013 was $820.6 billion. In 2010, Washington state experienced 2,069 unintentional injury deaths costing more than $2.2 billion in medical and work lost costs.

Poisoning, including opioid overdoses, has become the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the nation, including in Washington state, overtaking motor vehicle deaths.

Males are more likely to experience unintentional injury deaths even from the time they are young. Nationally, men account for 92 percent of fatal workplace injuries. In this state during 2014, males died from unintentional injuries about a third more frequently than females.

We all have a vested interest in preventing unintentional injuries. We have the knowhow, but we need to put it into practice.

Womenshealth.gov has some simple tips for unintentional injury prevention:

Don’t drive when you feel sleepy. Don’t drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Also, don’t accept a ride with an impaired driver.

Wear your seat belt.

Drive the speed limit, and obey traffic laws.

Look for safety issues around your home, and fix or remove problems. Remove tripping hazards that can cause falls, such as cords or loose rugs.

Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home are working.

Use the handrail when walking up or down stairs.

Use safety gear during sports activities, such as a helmet when biking.

Follow workplace safety guidelines and OSHA (Occupational Safety &Health Administration) standards.

Learn to swim.

Use care with ladders, power equipment and chemicals when working around the home.

The CDC’s Injury Prevention &Control website provides even more information.

Let’s work toward reducing the number of unintentional injuries. The lives and money saved will be well worth it.

Susan Johnson is regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region 10.