National Injury Prevention Day – July 5th
What is National Injury Prevention Day (NIPD)?
July 5th is the second annual National Injury Prevention Day. Parachute Canada describes it as “a day to raise awareness around the importance of injury prevention and aid Canadians to live long lives to the fullest through education and advocacy.”
Why was NIPD started?
NIPD was started with the goal to provide the necessary information and tools to the public and to work diligently to ensure that one day Canada will be free of serious injuries.1
What are the statistics that you need to know?
- An estimated 42.7 million Canadians aged 12 or older suffered an injury severe enough to limit their usual activities in 2009-2010. This represents 15% of the population, an increase from 13% in 2001.2
- The Cost of Injury in Canada report estimates the total economic burden of injury in Canada at $26.8 billion in 2010. This estimate includes direct costs of $15.9 billion arising from health care expenditures and indirect costs of $10.9 billion associated with reduced productivity from hospitalization, disability, and premature death.3
- Injuries, excluding adverse events in medical care, are the leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 1 and 44 and the fifth leading cause of death for Canadians of all ages.4
- Every hour 417 people in Canada suffer a preventable injury as a result of a fall, a motor vehicle crash, a fire, poisoning, drowning or other activities.5
- If we continue on the current trajectory, forecasts show that by 2035 injuries will cost Canadians $75 billion and 26, 390 lives. That’s an increase of 180% and over 10 thousand more lives.6
What can you do to help prevent injuries?
The Spectrum of Prevention, developed by Larry Cohen in 1983, provides different levels of actions that individuals and society can take to help with injury prevention.
Level of Spectrum |
Definition of Level |
| 1. Strengthening Individual Knowledge and Skills | Enhancing an individual’s capability of preventing injury or illness and promoting safety |
| 2. Promoting Community Education | Reaching groups of people with information and resources to promote health and safety |
| 3. Educating Providers | Informing providers who will transmit skills and knowledge to others |
| 4. Fostering Coalitions and Networks | Bringing together groups and individuals for broader goals and greater impact |
| 5. Changing Organizational Practices | Adopting regulations and shaping norms to improve health and safety |
| 6. Influencing Policy and Legislation | Developing strategies to change laws and policies to influence outcomes |
Source: Prevention Institute
What can you do to help raise awareness?
- Do you have a location that you would be able to light up green on July 5th? Structures across Canada such as Niagara Falls, Ripley’s Aquarium and London City Hall are lighting up green for NIPD! Contact Parachute Canada for more information on joining the list of locations.
- Light up your social media! Use the hashtags #ParachuteNIPD or #TurnSafetyOn to inform your followers about NIPD and show your support.
- Look into the rest of the injury prevention content and programs that Parachute offers, including #CrossSafe, Brain Waves, National Teen Driver Safety Week and much more. Links to these programs can be found here.
Sources
1. What is National Injury Prevention Day?
2. Stats Canada
3. Facts on Injury: Government of Canada
4. Facts on Injury: Government of Canada
5. Parachute Cost of Injury Report
6. Parachute Cost of Injury Report