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Cars, Falls Hurting Fewer Kids; Guns Killing More Kids

The good news is that, over the past decade, non-fatal injuries among children have decreased by more than 50% over the past decade, largely because we’ve chosen to take action to protect our kids from preventable harm:

At the same time, the rates of nonfatal injuries within the same age group decreased in several other categories from 2011 to 2020, including a 52.8% decline in injuries from falls and a 47.3% decrease in motor vehicle occupant injuries. Injuries from drownings stayed the about same.

…The authors credit the decrease in nonfatal car injuries, for example, to public health interventions targeting pediatric safety, technological advancements and legislative requirements [Sara Moniuszko, “Child Gun Deaths and Fatal Drug Poisonings Skyrocketed over Past Decade, Researchers Find,” CBS News, 2023.10.05].

But while we’re doing more to keep kids from getting hurt, our hands-off approach to guns is leading to lots more kids getting killed:

A new study by researchers at Boston Children’s hospital found children’s gun-related deaths have surged over the past decade, increasing by 87%.

Researchers analyzed data on fatal and non-fatal shooting injuries from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) injury reporting system, finding deadly wound rates increased from nearly 14 deaths per 100,000 children in 2011 to more than 17 deaths per 100,000 in 2021.

Additionally, the data shows firearm fatalities were the leading cause of accidental death in children.

…In 2021, 2,590 children died due to firearm injuries compared to 1,311 in 2011, according to the study published in the medical journal Pediatrics [Michael Sainato, “Gun-Related Deaths of US Children Are Rising at ‘Alarming’ Rate, Study Reveals,” Guardian, 2023.10.05].

At the same time, drag shows and books appear to have killed no children.

Thankfully, America’s laboratories of democracy allow some states to show us that we can reduce those gun deaths with smart gun laws:

A recent report by Everytown for Gun Safety found that states with the most protective gun storage laws had lowered gun suicide rates among children and young adults ages 10 to 24 in 2022 compared with 1999. Meanwhile, states with the weakest gun safety laws experienced a 39% increase in gun suicide rates over the past two decades, the report found [Sainato, 2023.10.05].

It’s hard to feel free if your kids are dead. Lock up those guns, pardners.

15 Comments

  1. All Mammal 2023-10-09 15:43

    Just wait for the children who manage to survive gun violence to be in the position to decide the condition in which the gun-stroking butt worms die. They might be as apathetic as those who chose guns over young lives. They might even take donations from the reverse mortgage people who love ripping off seniors, leaving them to die in the cold, sharing cat food with their pet rats.

    Or they may have mercy and regulate the industries that prey on old people, so they can go out with dignity and respect. We can decide now to ensure they choose the latter by assuming the role as responsible caretakers of the weak and defenseless. Show them an example of what decent grownups do. There will be consequences of showing them how to be greedy jerks.

  2. grudznick 2023-10-09 17:45

    You don’t mean in North Rapid, do you, Ms. Mammal? I fear the survivors there may be dangerous fellows, indeed. grudznick wishes them no ill will, but does miss DD’s Short Stop. One of my favorite places.

  3. grudznick 2023-10-09 18:11

    Falls are bad. Believe grudznick on this one, if you are 12 or if you are 92. Do not fall.

  4. e platypus onion 2023-10-09 18:47

    Falling in love is acceptable, unless the object of your affections are imaginary goats.

  5. P. Aitch 2023-10-09 19:13

    Got your goat, grudzie. Every time you pretend to know something or even anything about knowledge engineering, machine learning, and expert systems you embarrass yourself. Just admit you have zero curiosity and even fewer innovation skills.
    Have some more liquor and enjoy your #GoldenYears. You must have accomplished something when you were younger, huh?

  6. Bob Newland 2023-10-09 19:26

    Kurtz, I can’t make out what the subject matter in the video is. However, Adelstein loved telling people what NOT to do. Legendary? Yes. POS? Yes, also.

  7. larry kurtz 2023-10-09 20:15

    Curious that grud would pick 92 out of thin air, Bob?

  8. grudznick 2023-10-09 20:53

    Mr. Stan is a swell fellow, indeed.

  9. larry kurtz 2023-10-09 21:11

    In the image Mr. Adelstein is using a walker and telling off one of the spooks driving the end of women’s rights in South Dakota. Rapid City is an Albuquerque in miniature just waiting for someone to light the fuse.

  10. grudznick 2023-10-09 21:16

    That spook fellow was lucky Mr. Stan didn’t wave that thing like a flyswater, as he is been known to do, and gobsmack that young fellow across the face with the left front roller. That is made of the lightest and toughest aluminum money can buy.

  11. Arlo Blundt 2023-10-09 23:02

    Stan is a legend…fact is, he was a legend in the 60’s.

  12. Arlo Blundt 2023-10-10 00:13

    If guns are accessible children and people with mental illness will use them to kill themselves or others. Period.

  13. P. Aitch 2023-10-10 10:57

    Since no one sees or has commented on the irony.

    I see a 90+ gentleman, with few precious moments left, doing what he’s advising a younger man not to do. (i.e. Demanding that someone not demand others do something.)

    A double negative demand. Very rare but typical of older, angry, white males.

    Telling someone not to do something is literally doing the same thing.

  14. Marie 2023-10-10 15:08

    US/SD’s shameless adult legacy for school children and teens–a land littered with handguns and assault weapons–
    and de rigueur active shooter school drills.

    10/10/2023 Washington Post
    Guns are seized in U.S. schools each day. The numbers are soaring.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/10/10/guns-schools-us-increased-prevention-violence/

    10/10/2023 Gun Violence Archive–2023 and counting–
    Children (0-11) Killed–233, Injured–525.
    Teens (12-17) Killed–1119, Injured–3127.
    https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

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