EVERYONE HAS A ROLE IN PREVENTING INJURIES

It's not a pretty picture. In an average week across Missouri, 20 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes, 16 die by firearms, 13 commit suicide, nine are murdered, seven die in falls, two are fatally injured on the job, two drown, two are killed in fires or by burns, and two die from poisoning. In all, about 3,300 Missourians die of injuries each year, according to a new study by the Missouri Department of Health.

Especially vulnerable are our young. Injuries kill more Missouri children, teen-agers and young adults then any other cause of death. Injuries account for 80 percent of deaths of those age 15 to 24, according to the study.

What can we do to prevent accidents? Plenty, says Cherie Crowe, chief of the Office of Injury Control in Missouri. She would like to get rid of the word "accident," since it implies randomness. Crowe feels strongly there are patterns to injuries and definite actions we all can take to prevent them.

Prevention is certainly the watchword of this discussion. Health experts suggest that 80 percent of all injuries are preventable. Many of these injuries occur when we're in a hurry, and we forget to do something.

We fail to place smoke detectors in our homes or businesses, or we forget to check their batteries.

We fail to secure our children in safety seats each and every time we're in the car.

We forget about the deadly consequences of using alcohol or drugs in driving or boating.

We don't require ourselves or our kids to wear helmets when they ride their bikes.

We fail to look out for young children when we drive. Those children under five face their greatest risk of pedestrian injuries from their own parents or parents' friends as they back their vehicles out of the driveway. Once these children are over five, they're more likely to be hurt in our streets.

We forget to test water depth when kids are diving into open waters.

We forget to set water temperatures at 125 degrees or less to prevent scalding in children.

We forget to make our home safe for children or older parents. Not only should we think about ourselves in preventing injury, we must take responsibility for our young and old. Statistics reflect they are the two populations at greatest risk for injuries. As vehicle accidents are killing our young, falls are a major problem with our elderly.

There are success stories: There were fewer deaths on our highways last year due to increased use of seat belts and a change in attitude toward drinking and driving. Cars with airbags help prevent injury and death.

These injuries are expensive in terms of human suffering and medical bills. The study estimates that injuries cost Missouri more than $720 million a year, and the lifetime costs for injuries and motor vehicle accidents and falls that occurred in 1990 will total nearly $2 billion.

As medicine has impacted the prevention of some diseases, the focus has turned to preventing other deaths and injuries. Former surgeon general C. Everett Koop frequently emphasized: "If a disease were killing our children in the proportions that accidents are, people would be outraged and demand that this killer be stopped."

Clearly, there are things we can do to prevent many of these injuries. The government alone cannot stop these deaths and injuries. We should slow down, and put safety first. Our life and livelihood may depend upon it.