Report: Drug overdoses surpass motor vehicles as leading cause of injury death

Overdoses from prescription and other drugs are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, resulting in more than 44,000 deaths in 2013, according to a report released this week by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That’s more than double the number in 1999. Between 2009 and 2013, drug overdoses surpassed traffic-related crashes as the leading cause of injury death, according to the report, which scores states on 10 strategies to prevent injuries and violence. The strategies to prevent overdoses include prescription drug monitoring programs and access to naloxone. According to the report, falls are the leading cause of injury death for Americans 65 and older and motor vehicle crashes for those under age 35. With the number of seniors expected to more than double by 2050, the number of fall injuries and deaths are expected to rise, the report adds.