Suicide has overtaken car crashes as the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S.
English: Skull and crossbones (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
While public health efforts have curbed the number of car fatalities by 25% over the last decade, a new study shows suicide deaths rose by 15% during the same period.
“Comprehensive and sustained traffic safety measures have apparently substantially diminished the motor vehicle traffic mortality rate, and similar attention and resources are needed to reduce the burden of other injury,” researcher Ian Rockett, PhD, MPH of West Virginia University and colleagues write in theAmerican Journal of Public Health.
“Contrasting with disease mortality, the injury mortality rate trended upward during most of that decade,” write the researchers.
The top five leading causes of injury-related deaths were:
- Suicide
- Motor vehicle crashes
- Poisoning
- Falls
- Homicide
Researchers say the findings demonstrate that suicide is now a global public health issue.
And I would remind readers that LGBT youth attempt suicide at four times the rate of their peers. Notably because of intolerance, shame and fear perpetuated by ignorant institutions and people- sadly, many of them “Christians”. So here’s a not-so-gentle reminder:
“…but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble,
it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck,
and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” ~Matthew 18.6
From Eternity To Here 