Injury Violence and Poisoning

This section offers data and statistical reports on health conditions and deaths resulting from injury, violence or poisonings.

Injuries...

  • Are the leading cause of death and disability for the people of Washington State, ages 1-44.
  • Remain a huge cause of death and disability throughout the life span.
  • Kill more Americans ages 1-44 than all other disease combined.
  • Do not occur at random.
  • Occur in highly predictable patterns, with recognizable risk factors among identifiable populations.
  • Cost an average of $1.1 million in medical and lost productivity for each injury death in Washington State.

More information about injuries in Washington is on our Injury and Violence Prevention webpage.

What is a poison?

A poison is any product or substance, including medications, that can cause harm if used in the wrong way, by the wrong person, or in the wrong amount. A product or substance can cause a poisoning in different ways: if one eats it, drinks it, breathes it, injects it, gets it on the skin, or gets it in the eyes.