Awareness a must to reduce injury for New Mexicans
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health’s (DOH) Office of Injury and Violence Prevention is drawing attention to the dangers that preventable injuries pose in our state and nationwide.
In the latest available data from 2021, 306,086 people lost their lives to injuries in the United States, with approximately 3,100 of those fatalities occurring in New Mexico.
Leaders, including New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, are nationally proclaiming Saturday, Nov 18, as National Injury Prevention Day.
“These injuries include motor vehicle crashes, suicide, homicide, gun violence, childhood injury, and traumatic brain injury.” said DOH Secretary Patrick Allen. “Combined, injuries were the leading cause of death in New Mexico among people ages 1 to 44 in 2021. It takes all of us working together as families, communities and government to create safer homes and, bit by bit, a safer New Mexico.”
Injuries create intense emotional hardship and take a financial toll on our state’s families and resources. The economic cost of injury amounts to more than $4 billion per year in New Mexico, and the emotional costs are incalculable.
Factors such as limited social, educational, and economic opportunity, unstable housing, rigid gender roles, and the compound stresses of violence and racism increase injury risk.
Most injuries are preventable through a combination of policy, education, distribution and use of safety devices, as well as improving health and safety in places where people live, learn, and work.
Supporting and strengthening families, building stable connections with peers and adults, improving communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, while fostering a strong connection to school and community can create long-lasting, effective prevention.
Calls to Action
- Gun violence is a significant public health concern in New Mexico, leading to tragic consequences such as homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries. Gun owners practicing responsible storage and use of gun locks helps ensure household safety and prevent unauthorized access to guns. To access free safety kits that include cable-style gun locks visit safestoragenm.org and help protect your loved ones and your community. Gun locks are also available, while supplies last, at your local DOH public health office.
- November 18 is also International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. The 988 lifeline for emotional, mental or substance misuse support has the potential to save lives. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, feeling hopeless, confused, angry, or lonely, you have the power to help save a life and change the future of families and friends that might otherwise experience the loss of someone they love. Help is confidential, free and available 24 hours a day and all 365 days in a year.
- On National Injury Prevention Day, step up and be a part of change! Wear green, do what you can to make a difference in your community, and when the sun goes down, shine a green light to brighten the path toward change. Green represents life, safety, health, growth, and prosperity.
- Use the hashtag #BeInjuryFree to participate and join the National Injury Prevention Day conversation on social media.
Learn more about the efforts of DOH’s Office of Injury & Violence Prevention here.
Media Contact
We would be happy to provide additional information about this press release. Simply contact David Morgan at 575-528-5197 (Office) or 575-649-0754 (Mobile) with your questions.
Versión en Español
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La concienciación es esencial para reducir las lesiones de los nuevomexicanos