The very dangerous United States.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

The following are the numbers of Unintentional Deaths for all races, both sexes, all ages by various means in 2005 (the most recent year available) according to the CDC.

Motor Vehicles 45,343
Poisoning 23,618
Falls 19,656
Suffocation 5,900
Drowning 3,582
Fires, all types 3,299
Bicycles 927
Firearms, all types 789
Machinery 750


Interesting numbers here. The number of people that die from unintentional poisonings is absolutely incredible to me. The suffocation numbers are also quite disturbing. Thought some other people might find this interesting. Edited to add link.

http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/

David

[Fumesucker]

1. Suffocation probably includes carbon monoxide poisoning..

It's remarkably easy to unintentionally kill yourself with carbon monoxide.

[-..__...]

16. Feline asphyxiation

Happens all the time (especially with children).

Person/child goes to sleep, cat sneaks into bedroom and decides to doze on the persons face, persons airway is blocked = suffocation by cat hair.

Tragic and/or preventable by...

1) Checking and securing the bedroom from cats prior to slumber.

2) Keeping the cat locked and and housed in a safe manner to prevent intrusion into ones sleeping quarters.

3) Safety training and/or public awareness on the dangers of having cats in the home.

4) Banning/restricting the possession/ownership of cats (especially the larger breeds).

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

17. Only 918 of the cases of suffocation involve children under the age of 10.

[Statistical]

24. Probably as a result of better safety and awarness.

However I remember reading a study that families with a feline in the house are 28,855,585% more likely to die from feline asphyxiation that those without a feline in the home.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

29. That's pretty funny.

:rofl:

[XemaSab]

33. .

:rofl:

[wartrace]

52. Oh great, now I have to kill Flea Taxi & Chairman meow.

I have never heard about cats suffocating their owners! I guess I will have to off the fellas!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

54. Just sleep with your eyes open.

[Irreverend IX]

2. Do the poisonings include drug overdoses?

I don't see a separate category for that, so I suppose a big part of that number is people drinking themselves to death. Suffocation is probably mostly little kids falling into buckets and the like.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

3. I'm guessing so since most of poisonings occur in people over the age of 18.

I'm looking into the suffocation thing.

David

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

5. Oddly enough only 918 of the cases of suffocation were kids under 10 years old.

[depakid]

12. Yep

In 2004, 75% of poisoning suicides were caused by drugs—both legal and illegal. The most commonly used drugs identified in drug-related suicides were psychoactive drugs, such as sedatives and antidepressants, followed by opiates and prescription pain medications.

Among those who died from unintentional poisoning in 2005:

* men were 2.1 times more likely than women;
* Native Americans had the highest death rate;
* whites and blacks had comparable rates;
* the peak age was 45-49 years of age; and
* the lowest mortality rates were among children less than 15 years old (CDC 2008).

Among people who unintentionally poisoned themselves, received treatment in emergency departments and survived in 2006:

* men were 1.5 times more likely than women;
* the highest rates were in the 40-49 year old age group (CDC 2008).

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/poisoning.htm

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

14. Suicides aren't included in the unintentional numbers though.

[depakid]

18. Levels of intent aren't as important as methods with respect to lethality

Intent is a complex matter and falls along a continuum. While some attempters are probably at the low end of the spectrum with very little intent to die, and others are at the high end, many fall into an ambivalent middle ground. Still others have high intent but only during very brief episodes (impulsivity). So it's not that simple of a matter to record accurate data- and place it into definitive groupings.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

26. Suicides have their own category, they are not included in these statistics.

[depakid]

40. Don't be thick

reporting and coding the data one way or another isn't easy- nor particularly accurate- though the point of the thread is abundantly clear.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

42. I hope people realize that unintentional injury is a huge problem that needs to be addressed.

The cost associated with traumatic injuries of all types is staggering and prevention is the most cost effective and efficient way to deal with the problem. I hope that is the point that everyone got.

David

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

46. You are the only one here that has confused the issue.

Suicide would clearly be an intentional poisoning as would murder by giving someone arsenic. You can get those numbers from the CDC.

David

[depakid]

50. Look, in some ways, you seem like a reasonable fellow

You've been keen to see the fallacies on the vaccine threads. These matters are not that different.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

51. I'm not aware of anyone claiming fallacies in these numbers.

I'm sure that a portion of the accidental poisonings are suicides that are either covered up for a variety of reasons. Just like accidental gun deaths that are actually suicides and covered up for. Just like a lot of accidental suffocations in infants are classified as SIDS. I have seen studies questioning the SIDS numbers. I haven't seen any questioning the accidental death numbers. My problem with your statement was that you were specifically talking about suicides in responding to a question about accidental drug overdoses. I'm not questioning your suicide numbers I'm just saying that the CDC specifically sets apart suicide by poisoning, the CDC says 5,744 of those occurred in 2005. Clearly there would be the most discrepancy in the accidental gun deaths and poisonings as those are among the most popular ways to commit suicide. Having said that I haven't seen any studies questioning the data. I'm not saying that all these numbers are perfectly correct and classified properly. I'm saying the majority probably are and that there are lessons to be learned from those numbers. For instance, everyone should be very careful around stairs and ladders. Everyone should be very careful when taking a lot of medications.

David

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

6. I'm quite sure firearms are at the top of the list.

[timtom]

8. Actually, the number of deaths in 2005

gun-related is:

30,694

http://webapp.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate.html

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

9. The question was concerning intentional deaths.

[timtom]

10. You mean, "unintentional deaths", right? (as per op)

In that case the magic number is 789 (unintentional)

Oh, wait. You already had that number.

Sorry. I should be in bed.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

11. In post #4 the question was about intentional deaths.

My response was that I'm sure firearms leads in causes of intentional deaths. That's not what this thread is about though.

David

[timtom]

13. Again, my apologies.

I'm going back to bed now.

(And I agree about derailment posts...)

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

7. Please don't try and derail this thread into a gun discussion, that's what the gun forum is for.

[tkmorris]

20. LOL. As if that isn't EXACTLY why you posted it

Funny thing Dave. Mostly I support your position on gun rights, I just have a problem with the way you argue it. It's disingenuous.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

55. Then I would have tried to direct the conversation in that direction, sorry you are wrong.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MrSlayer]

19. I routinely use a bicycle as a weapon.

It's rather unwieldy but effective.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

56. Those would be intentional bicycle deaths.

They would be in a different set of statistics.

David

[Delphinus]

21. How many died because

they lacked health insurance and couldn't afford adequate care?

[asteroid2003QQ47]

22. So we need a Center for Gravity Control (CGC) ? eom

[Posteritatis]

34. "No, you fool, fall up! Fall UP!" (nt)

[Statistical]

23. I propose the ABB

Assault Bicycle Ban.

Bicycles are a menace to our streets. Every day negligent use of of bicycles results in 16% more fatalities than firearms.

Sure bicycles had a place in society but in todays mass transit age the idea that anyone other than bike police, or professional bicyclist need a personally owned bike is crazy.

If you want to own a death dealing bike then join the Tour De France or police bike team.

Urge your elected officals to support the ABB in 2009 so we can take back out streets from 2 wheeled menace!

[AyanEva]

25. With that thread title

My first thought was, "OMG WHO THE HELL ARE WE ATTACKING THIS TIME?!" forgetting momentarily that Obama's in charge and isn't prone to random fits of violence like his predecessor.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

27. My apologies, I wanted people to be curious enough to look though.

[Posteritatis]

35. Seems to have worked (nt)

[Bluebear]

28. How prescient. You can update your firearm count by 14.

[jmg257]

30. Those seemed pretty intentional. Probably be over 30,000 of those this year. nt

[wartrace]

53. If you include suicides. Around 14k murders every year. n/t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

31. Feel free to post your own thread in the gun forum, this thread is about unintentional deaths.

You seem to have me mistaken for someone else. Other people here gleefully post stories when innocent people are murdered, not me.

David

[DemoTex]

32. I worked Poison Control at Grady Hospital in Atlanta for a couple of years in a past life ..

If the figure from the CDC includes Poison Control Center data, then it would encompass deaths from carbon monoxide, snake bite (very few), and beaucoup drug overdoses .. including suicides. In other words, all deaths from toxic (poison) substances. I find the number of poisoning deaths hilariously (gallows humor) low. No way.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

36. They had suicides by poison listed separately.

I am assuming that accidental drug overdoses are included. They had a separate part for environmental causes, I'm not sure where snake bites would fit in there.

David

[DemoTex]

37. EMT's called one night from the field with "Brown Caviar" victims.

They rolled them into the Grady while I researched the "drug." The two young kids (15-ish) were DOA in the MEC (Medical Emergency Clinic) downstairs. "Brown Caviar" was frozen embalming fluid (formaldehyde) .. eaten like a "slushy."

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

45. I heard something yesterday about meth addicts saving their urine and drinking it.

They said this was because about 60% of meth is excreted through the urine. People do some screwed up stuff.

David

[SmileyRose]

38. All of them put together are far less than the death by fast food and cokes.

and FAR more than death by terrorism. (though I'm of the almost insane thought that the food industry in this country IS being run by terrorists of a different sort)

Sorry, obtuse, I know.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

41. Well.....

If you say that those are the causes of all heart disease then I would agree with you. I don't believe you can say that though, at least it hasn't been scientifically proven. Unintentional Injury is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 45. It comes in fifth though for all age groups.

David

[SmileyRose]

43. I always wondered

how many people die from tripping over the cat?

Sorry Dave - too little sleep for way too long (but the bright side is Mr SmileyRose may actually be a full human being again) Anyways, there should be some kind of law again posting while slightly crazy. LOL :)

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

44. It is a great point and probably true.

If you look at diabetes, heart disease and the cancers involving the digestive track you are probably right on the money. Scientifically though it appears there is a strong genetic link to all of those diseases. I would agree though that they are a significantly contributing factor.

David

[Starry Messenger]

39. I don't see 'withering scorn' on there.

Or sarcasm.

[Renew Deal]

47. It's time to ban gravity.

Ban all gravity right now!

[chollybocker]

48. Do you have stats for Intentional Deaths?

That would be...interesting.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

49. Less than you'd think.

Firearms are in first place especially when you consider suicides. That thread would have to take place in the gun forum due to DU rules. You can do a search for the intentional stats on the above link it's really easy.

David

[Forkboy]

57. Interesting numbers. I note only one of those is designed to intentionally kill, though.

I'm amazed at the poisoning numbers, too. :wow:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

59. Yes and given that it's a remarkably low number.

The poisoning numbers are really high but given the fact that accidental overdoses are probably included in those numbers maybe not just way out of line.

David

[rucky]

58. Maybe we should be talking about car control?

or at least public transit

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

60. A maximum speed limit of 30 mph would stop a lot of those deaths.

I wonder how many people would be willing to accept that to save some lives.

David

[mudesi]

61. Your Motives Are Obvious And Your Arguments Are Logically Fallacious

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

63. If you have something of substance to add I'd love to hear it.

[L0oniX]

62. You've made my case for other drivers being much more likely to kill you than someone with a gun...

unintentionally of course.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

66. That's true even if you add the intentional gun deaths.

Despite increased safety measures and many advances in trauma medicine we have pretty consistently killed 47,000 people every year for the last 20 years. You'd think we'd be able to do something about that.

David

[upi402]

64. Alert Mike Moore!

Dr Robertson started "Mr Yuck" stickers at the WA Poison Control Center I think. He's still Director Emeritus or something too. Wonder why all the poisonings too??? hmmmm

1 800 222 1222 national capital poison center

[The Straight Story]

65. If people would on license and register their cars....

oh wait :rofl: :hide: