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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
Injury Prevention and Safety
Contact Us
- 941-624-7200
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Mailing Location
1100 Loveland Boulevard
Port Charlotte, FL 33980
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Florida's Need for Injury Prevention
Unintentional injuries are the fourth leading cause of death among Florida residents after heart disease, cancer, and stroke, according to 2023 data from FLHealthCHARTS.gov. Unintentional injuries claimed 16,435 lives and accounted for 7.18% of all resident deaths.
Florida's age-adjusted fatal injury rate is 85.39 per 100,000, slightly higher than the national average, according to 2023 data from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of those injury-related deaths, the top cause in Florida as well as in the United States is unintentional, followed by suicides, homicides, undetermined intent, and legal intervention.
Unintentional and violence-related injuries cause more than 300,000 deaths among people of all ages in the United States each year, according to the CDC. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for people ages 1-44.
About 21 million people are treated and released from emergency departments with nonfatal injuries each year, the CDC says. Nonfatal injuries can cause life-long mental, physical, and financial problems.
Fatal and nonfatal injuries are also costly. The 2019 cost of injury in the United States was $4.2 trillion, according to a report in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The costs include spending on healthcare, lost work productivity, as well as estimates of cost for lost quality of life and lives lost.
Florida's Violence and Injury Prevention Section (VIPS)
The VIPS addresses statewide injury prevention priorities by providing technical assistance, information, and resources to community partners.
Early Childhood Drowning Prevention - From 2019 to 2021, Florida led the country in unintentional drowning deaths of children ages 1-4 years, according to the Florida Department of Health. The “WaterSmartFL: Water Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility” initiative educates parents, caregivers, and communities about drowning risks and prevention strategies. The campaign identifies three layers to increase pool safety and reduce childhood drowning: supervision, barriers, and emergency preparedness. More information is available at WaterSmartFL.com.
Older Adult Falls Prevention - Unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury death among Florida residents ages 65 years and older and the fourth leading cause of injury death overall, according to the Florida Department of Health. In addition, falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injury-related hospital admissions in Florida.
Safe Kids Florida - Local coalitions provide leadership in their communities in an effort to reduce the number of childhood injuries, a leading killer of children ages 19 and under.
Distracted Driving Prevention - Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all Americans about the danger it poses.
Family Fire Safety Plan
One way to make your home safer is to have a Family Fire Safety Plan. Make fire safety a family event by including your kids in the planning and practice. Have your kids help you test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Older kids can help make a fire escape plan the whole family can practice.
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