April 4-10 is National Public Health Week and state health officials are highlighting injury prevention.
They say injuries are a serious and costly public health problem for Maryland – they are the No. 1 killer of children and young adults up to age 24 and the fifth leading killer of all ages. State data also shows they cost more than $217 million in emergency department charges and $855 million in hospitalizations.
And while anyone can get an injury, they are often preventable, officials say.
"It takes only a moment for an injury to happen," Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said in a statement. "Avoid that moment by doing the little things to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community."
He is encouraging people to learn how to prevent injuries and adopt this motto: "Safety is NO Accident: Live Injury-Free."
Some steps include using seatbelts on every trip, not using cell phones while driving and wearing a bike helmet.
More tips from state officials include checking your home for hazards such as poor lighting and uneven surfaces that can cause falls, understanding workplace safety regulations, putting kids in properly installed car seats, working with schools to implement school violence and bullying programs and changing smoke alarm batteries and installing carbon monoxide detectors.
For more information, click here or go to the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website.
Baltimore Sun file photo/John Makely