| Safety First |
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How safe are you? Accidents are the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S. It's not enough to eat healthy and exercise if you then get in your car and drive without a seatbelt. Safety awareness plays a critical role in longevity and well-being. Leading a healthy life includes taking safety into consideration at work and play. Any ideas of some of the more common accidents?
- Bike accidents are a common cause of injury, especially of head injury. Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycling, horseback riding, boarding, or skiing.
- Homicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in young adults. If you have a firearm in your home, make sure it is unloaded and locked up. If you have a firearm, you should take a firearms safety course.
- Over 75% of boating related drownings occur when the victim is not wearing a flotation device. Always wear a life preserver when out on the water.
- Each year, nearly 3,000 people die in home fires in the U.S. In 2003-2006, roughly two thirds of home fire deaths were in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Maintain you smoke alarms and make sure you have enough in your home.
- We all know the risks of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Did you know that almost 50% of adolescents use alcohol when participating in water related activities?? About one third of drowning/boating victims are intoxicated when the accident occurs. A significant number of fatally injured adult pedestrians and fatal boating accidents involve alcohol use. Don't abuse alcohol and other substances and certainly don't drive or boat under the influence.
- Here’s our challenge...Would you be willing to change ONE behavior to make this a safer year for yourself and those close to you???
By: the Physicians of Health Butler
[//2011]