June is National Safety Month

June is National Safety Month

national safety monthAccidental injuries are a leading cause of disability for people of all ages – and they are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44. The good news is everyone can get involved to help prevent injuries.

During National Safety Month, the staff at both OHPWalk-In Care and OHP Work Care remind you to take measures to help change these statistics. This June, we encourage you to learn more about important safety issues like prescription drug abuse, distracted driving, and slips, trips, and falls.

  • Prescription drug abuse: Prescription painkiller overdoses are a growing problem in the United States, especially among women. About 18 women die every day from a prescription painkiller overdose – more than 4 times as many as back in 1999.
  • Slips, trips, and falls: One in 3 older adults falls each year. Many falls lead to broken bones and other health problems.
  • Distracted driving: Doing other activities while driving – like texting or eating increases your chance of crashing. Almost 1 in 5 crashes (18%) that injured someone involved distracted driving.

You can make a difference. Find out ways to help reduce the risk of these safety issues. Visit the National Safety Council at www.nsc.org. Talk to your family about accident prevention in the home. If you are an employer, be sure to post appropriate cautionary notices and reminders in the workplace.

And if you DO experience a non-emergency injury or illness, remember we can help. OHP Walk-In Care provides a wide range of non-life threatening immediate care health services for ages 5-64. We can see you without an appointment. Visit us or call 270-781-6477 for hours.