Injury Prevention
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Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults. More than 150,000 people die each year as a result of injuries from motor vehicle crashes, fires, drowning, falls, and poisonings (including suicide and homicide). With their established community relationships, local health departments (LHDs) play a crucial role in injury prevention efforts. 
Participating in water and pool activities is an exciting way to bring families together and engage members of all ages in fun physical activities. The increasing prevalence of these activities during the summer months, however, is often associated with a boom in the rates of water-related injuries. Not limited to pools, drowning and other unintentional injuries occurring in lakes, rivers, oceans, and other open-water environments cause an average of ten deaths per day in the United States. Furthermore, nonfatal drownings pose a high risk for long-term disabilities, such as brain damage(1). Local health departments can help protect communities from these hazards by promoting water-safety precautions and equipment recommendations. Injury Prevention Webcast Series NACCHO, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association are sponsoring a monthly series of topical injury prevention webcasts. The theme for the 2010 webcast series is "Policy Approaches to Injury & Violence Prevention." Throughout the year, webcasts will focus on how injury and violence prevention initiatives in both intentional and unintentional areas have used policies to improve outcomes in states and local communities. In addition, the importance of effective state and local collaborations in the implementation of these initiatives will be emphasized. More>>
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