With one in five Americans developing skin cancer, childhood education about sun safety is a vital step toward reducing risk and improving public health. Overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays seriously threatens human health. Besides the immediate effect of sunburn, over time excess UV radiation can cause skin cancer, eye damage, immune system suppression, and premature aging. About 23 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18. Learning about sun safety and dangers of sunbeds is the key to reducing the risk of future health problems.
According to NSC Injury Facts, 3,858 people died in 2008 due to drowning, including swimming and water transport accidents. More than one in five drowning victims are children 14-years-old and younger, and for every child who dies from drowning, another four receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Most drowning and near-drowning incidents happen when a child falls into a pool or is left alone in the bathtub.
Heat illness includes a range of disorders that result when your body is exposed to more heat than it can handle. Anybody not accustomed to hot weather is at risk of suffering from heatstroke (the most serious and life-threatening heat-related illness) as well as heat exhaustion and heat cramps.
In 2010, there were 10,228 deaths in crashes involving a
driver with a BAC of .08 or higher – 31 percent of all traffic fatalities for
the year. While it is illegal to drive with a .08 blood alcohol concentration
in all 50 states, driving ability can be impaired below the legal limit too. If
you are drinking, do not drive. If you plan to drink, designate a non-drinking
driver.
Summer brings picnics, barbecues, parades and fireworks displays, especially around the 4th of July. Summer also brings an increase in injuries from backyard grills, bonfires and fireworks. In 2010, fireworks caused an estimated 15,500 reported fires, including 1,100 structure fires. These fires resulted in an estimated 8,600 people treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, 39 percent of whom were under 15 years of age.