Monday, September 21, 2015

Is It Safe?

There’s an ongoing debate in America about how to reduce the number of deaths from firearms. I began to wonder, how does the risk of dying by gun compare to other common causes of death? So I researched the subject. Most of these numbers are for 2013.

Cause of Death

Annual Deaths (USA)

Machinery

588

Cut/pierce

2,576

Fire/hot object

3,220

Transport other than motor vehicle

3,623

Drowning

4,056

Suffocation

17,316

Prostate cancer

27,540

Falling

31,240

Firearm

33,636

Motor vehicle

33,804

Influenza

36,000

Breast cancer

40,290

Second-hand cigarette smoke

42,000

Poisoning

48,545

Pneumonia

53,282

Diabetes

75,578

Alzheimer’s

84,767

Medical errors

400,000

Cigarettes

480,000

Sources:
Injury deaths: CDC
Tobacco deaths: CDC
Breast cancer: American Cancer Society
Prostate cancer: American Cancer Society
Medical errors: Journal of Patient Safety
Influenza deaths: Medical News Today
Pneumonia deaths: Medical News Today
Alzheimer’s deaths: CDC
Diabetes deaths: CDC

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