HealthDay (9/21, Reinberg) reports, “More Americans now commit suicide than die in car crashes, making suicide the leading cause of injury deaths,” according to a study published online Sept. 20 in the American Journal of Public Health. “In addition, over the last 10 years, while the number of deaths from car crashes has declined, deaths from poisoning and falls increased significantly, the researchers” reported. Study author Ian Rockett, a professor of epidemiology at West Virginia University, believes “there may be 20 percent or more unrecognized suicides,” possibly from intentional overdosing on prescription medications.
WebMD (9/21, Warner) reports, “In the study, researchers looked at cause of death data from the National Center for Health Statistics from 2000 to 2009.” They found that “the top five leading causes of injury-related deaths were: suicide, motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, falls, [and] homicide.” The study authors “say the findings demonstrate that suicide is now a global public health issue.”
Related Links:
— “Suicide Now Kills More Americans Than Car Crashes: Study, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, September 20, 2012.