The Problem: Firearms are the second leading cause of injury and deaths in the United States, accounting for 30,896 deaths and 71,417 injuries in 2006. More than 80 percent of teen homicides and almost half of teen suicides involved a gun in 2005. CDC: WISQUARS. More than half of all homicides involve a gun.U.S. Department of Justice: Crime Statistics.
The Problem: Domestic violence – the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of intimate partners or cohabiters – is a significant public health problem. In the U.S., 25 percent of women and 10 percent of men have experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. CDC Factsheet: Intimate Partner Violence. Sexual violence is a particularly common occurrence in intimate relationships.
The Problem: Motor vehicle accidents are one of the largest sources of public health harms. Annually, in the U.S., more than 32,000 are killed in motor vehicle crashes and an additional 2 million are injured. CDC: Motor Vehicle Safety Factsheet.CDC Fact Sheet: Motor Vehicle Safety. Adverse weather conditions including snow and ice contribute to the incidence of motor vehicle crashes.
The Problem: Vaccine coverage for preventable disease is an essential public health goal. Low vaccine coverage rates enable otherwise avoidable outbreaks of harmful diseases. CDC: Vaccines and Immunizations.
The Problem: The shortage of adequate, affordable housing can create pockets of concentrated poverty, exposing children and others to lead and other pathogens, which affects the health of children and families. The Urban Institute. Research on Record: Housing. Also, housing expenses draw resources away from health expenditures (e.g., nutritious food and healthcare). CDC and U.S.
The Problem: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inexperienced drivers are a significant public health problem. In 2016, nearly 2,500 teens aged 16-19 were killed in motor vehicle crashes. CDC. Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet.
Laws requiring vision screening for older are a plausible means of reducing crashes involving older drivers, but there is insufficient evidence to rigorously assess their effectiveness at this time.
The Problem: The shortage of adequate, affordable housing is a major public health problem, which draws family resources away from other health expenditures, such as nutritious food and healthcare, and exposes children and others to lead and other pathogens. CDC and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
