Study finds steep increase in gun, drug poisoning deaths among youths – By Justin Boggs (Scripps News) / Oct 5, 2023
A new study found that as nonfatal injuries declined, fatal injuries among children increased from 2011 through 2021.
From 2011 to 2021, there was a steep increase in gun deaths and drug poisoning deaths among children, even as injuries from most other causes decreased over the decade, according to a new study.
The study released Thursday by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that youth gun deaths increased 87.1% over the decade while drug poisoning fatalities among children more than doubled. There was a smaller increase in suffocation fatalities during the decade. The rise in fatal injuries came as nonfatal injuries from things such as falls and motor vehicle accidents significantly declined from 2011 to 2021.
The study said that fatal injury rates in 2011 were 14.07 per 100,000 children. By 2021, that number increased to 17.30 per 100,000 youths.
