Chris Urbina, MD, MPH is the chief medical officer and executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
How many times do you hear public health officials, especially during flu season, say "Wash your hands, cover your cough, get your flu vaccination and stay home when you're sick?" Is this all public health officials have to say? Hardly. However simple these statements may be to some, they work in preventing illness. The same principles apply for preventing injuries. When simple or obvious actions are taken at home, work or play, they make a big difference in whether or not an injury occurs.
In Colorado, injury is the third leading cause of death. More than 3,100 Coloradans die from injuries each year, with an additional 32,000 hospitalized for nonfatal injuries and thousands more treated in emergency departments and physicians' offices. An estimated one in eight Coloradans seek medical treatment for injuries each year.
As National Public Health Week kicks off around the nation this week, state and local public health officials will join their partners in reminding people that injuries are preventable and everyone can participate in living safer, injury-free lives every day. Unlike unavoidable accidents, many injuries can be avoided. Every individual makes a daily choice whether or not she or he is going to live a safer life. It's no accident that deaths among Colorado's teen drivers have dropped 75 percent in Colorado. It's due to the efforts of many in Colorado's community dedicated to protecting lives. It's because more teenagers choose to follow the law and rules of the road by driving the speed limit and wearing seat belts. The simple act of turning off their cell phones while driving goes a long way in preventing car crashes and saving lives.
Practicing living injury-free means, first, being aware of your surroundings. A tough fall for an elderly person may reduce his or her activity level because of fear of falling again. However, starting or continuing an exercise program for strength and balance can prevent such a fall. An average of 407 Coloradans age 65 and older die from a fall-related injury each year. How many of those deaths could have been prevented had someone helped their elderly parents or grandparents by removing tripping hazards in the home, such as piles of books on the floor or stairwell, or removing a slippery rug?
Living injury-free means parents supervise their small children at all times and read toy labels to make sure they purchase toys that are age-appropriate. Toys for older children contain small parts that are a choking hazard for curious toddlers who like to put things in their mouths. Anyone participating in sports or recreational activities such as football, skateboarding, rollerblading or snowboarding can prevent a concussion or serious injury by wearing a helmet and protective safety gear. Colorado emergency rooms treat between 1,500 to 2,500 young athletes for sports-related concussions each year. We can reduce those numbers.
Many people do not see injury as a public health issue. Yet, according to the National Academy of Sciences, injury is probably the most under recognized significant public health challenge facing the nation today. Studying injuries and how to prevent them presents countless opportunities for savings, both in financial and human terms.
Injuries don't have to be a leading cause of death and disability. Coloradans can make a difference by practicing living injury-free each day. For more injury-prevention information, visit CDPHE's Injury, Suicide and Violence Prevention Unit.
National Public Health Week is sponsored by the American Public Health Association. Daily injury prevention tips can be found on CDPHE's Facebook page.
What measures do you personally take to prevent injuries? Post your thoughts in the comment box below. Please note that comments will be open for two weeks from the initial post date. Follow the Foundation's work on Facebook and Twitter.
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