by Cecilia (Geej) B. Williams
In a chart prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Unintentional Poisoning and Unintentional Motor Vehicle Traffic are reflected as the top two leading causes of Injury Deaths in the United States.
Unintentional Poisoning has surpassed Unintentional Motor Vehicle Traffic since 2011, with the latter having consistently ranked first since 2005 (per CDC archives).
Unintentional poisoning is the intake of substances that cause harm unintentionally. This includes recreational drugs, medication, alcohol, household chemicals, cosmetics, plants, carbon monoxide, and animal bites.
The use and overdose of opioids (including prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl) comprised 72% (42,000 people) of Unintentional Poisoning deaths in 2016. “. . .Forty-percent (40%) of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.1”
Footnotes:
1 Opioid Overdose, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last accessed 7/13/2018
References:
10 Leading Causes of Death and Injury, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last accessed 7/13/2018
Fact Sheet: Unintentional Poisoning, National Business Group on Health, last accessed 7/13/2018
Opioid Overdose, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last accessed 7/13/2018
Having had over 20 years experience as web and graphic designer, and several years of doing SEO, SEM, and SMO work, Cecilia (aka Geej) is Absolute’s social media director and web manager.