Bad break

The leading cause of death for young people in Hawaii is from such nonmedical injuries as motor vehicle accidents, suicides, drownings and drug poisonings, according to a new state Department of Health study.

State officials said the study shows accidents, suicides and homicides take the lives of more Hawaii residents ages 1-39 than all other causes of death combined, including heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Among residents of all ages, injuries are the third leading cause of death, with the greatest contribution coming from suicides, falls, drug poisonings, motor vehicle crashes and ocean drownings.

Health officials said the report, released by the Health Department and Injury Prevention Advisory Committee, includes the most comprehensive data available on fatal and nonfatal injuries in Hawaii since 2006. The statistics were released in conjunction with a five-year plan to reduce and prevent serious injuries, according to the state’s news release.

"The report is invaluable for charting the course to prevent injuries that are a major cause of death and hospitalization in Hawaii," said Health Director Loretta Fuddy.

The greatest concerns are the statistics on drowning, falls, poisoning, suicide, traffic accidents, and violence and abuse, officials said.

During an average week in Hawaii, 12 residents die from an injury, 115 are hospitalized and 1,530 are treated for emergencies.

To reduce vehicular fatalities and injuries, the state Injury Prevention Advisory Committee recommends requiring back-seat vehicle passengers to wear safety belts. Currently, Hawaii does not require a seat belt for back-seat passengers over age 17.

The committee also recommends requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, and for the state to look at ways to reduce the number of alcohol-impaired drivers on the road.

State health official Daniel Gala­nis, injury prevention epidemiologist and author of the report, said about half of fatal vehicle accidents involve alcohol-impaired drivers.

"That’s been a persistent problem over time," he said.

Galanis said state officials are still looking at the causes of deaths due to unintentional drug poisonings.

"We think it’s an increase in prescription drug opiates," he said.

Galanis said state health officials are in the beginning stages of looking at whether drug poisonings might be linked to the amount of drugs taken by a victim or a combination of various drugs and alcohol.

He said those committing suicide had a variety of factors, including a high prevalence of mental illness, financial problems and conflicts with their spouses.

Galanis said among older people committing suicide, more than half were experiencing pain and medical problems.

He said one way to reduce suicides is intervention by identifying at-risk people, including providing suicide prevention services and counseling.

The study shows fatalities due to falls occur more frequently as people age.

The study showed that there was no trend as far as significant increases in the number of drownings, but did find that more than 40 percent of the drownings involved people ages 45-64 years old and that 46 percent of the victims had circulatory diseases.

Galanis said the problems caused by injuries are bad in Hawaii but not as bad as other states, partially because highway speed limits are generally lower here.