Several area injury prevention partners, including Parachute, are highlighting the impact that injury has on Canadians and the economy.
The group says unintentional injury is the number one cause of death for Canadians ages one through 34, while injury costs the Canadian economy $29.4 billion a year.
“You know the old saying, ‘if you put the money at the front you won’t have to spend it at the back’, this is what we keep telling the Ministry [of Health] that they need to put more money into injury prevention,“ says Pat Cliche, Chair of Ontario Injury Prevention Practitioners. “We’ve advocated that for years and I think that’s what they need to start doing.”
Tuesday, July 5 is National Injury Prevention Day.
Along with education and advocacy, Parachute is raising awareness about the effects of what they call predictable and preventable injuries.
The group also says every day, 48 Canadians die and 634 are hospitalized because of injuries.