The Facts Hurt: A State-By-State Injury Prevention Policy Report found that, in the past four years, the number of injury deaths increased significantly in 17 states, remained stable in 24 states and decreased in nine states. Injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44 — and are responsible for nearly 193,000 deaths per year.

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury deaths in the United States, at nearly 44,000 per year. These deaths have more than doubled in the past 14 years, and half of them are related to prescription drugs (22,000 per year).

Corinne Peek-Asa, CPH associate dean for research and professor of occupational and environmental health, commented on several findings from the report released by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“Injuries are persistent public health problems. New troubling trends, like the prescription drug overdose epidemic, increasing rates of fall-related deaths and traumatic brain injuries, are serious and require immediate response,” said Peek-Asa, who helped peer review the report, in a press release. “But, we cannot afford to neglect or divert funds from ongoing concerns like motor vehicle crashes, drownings, assaults and suicides. We spend less than the cost of a box of bandages, at just $.028 per person per year on core injury prevention programs in this country.”

Peek-Asa also commented on the report’s findings in numerous news stories, including the following:

U.S. News & World Report
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/06/17/report-shows-injury-related-deaths-among-states

NBC News
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fifty-ways-die-report-finds-accidental-deaths-n377131

Des Moines Register
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2015/06/17/trust-americas-health-iowa-naloxone-recommendation/28897921/

The Wichita Eagle
http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article24845707.html

Tech Times
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/61429/20150618/drug-overdose-is-now-biggest-cause-of-injury-related-deaths-in-the-u-s-report-says.htm

Indianapolis Star
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/06/17/deaths-drug-overdoses-rise-indiana/28878857/

Standard-Examiner
http://www.standard.net/Local/2015/06/17/injury-prevention-report.html