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Subscribe to RSSFor the first time in 45 years, homicide dropped out of the top 15 causes of death in the United States in 2010, according to a new government analysis of mortality trends.
Crime rates have been falling for decades, fueled by a range of social, demographic and law enforcement factors, but the just-released death figures from the National Center for Health Statistics underscore the decline.
“No one will believe you when you say assault is where it was in the 1960s,” said Gary LaFree, director of the department of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland. “Homicide started to rise in 1963 and peaked in 1975.”
The 4.3 percent drop in assault deaths last year was part of a larger good-news trend that saw a slight increase in U.S. life expectancy -- now 78.7 years -- and declines in the age-adjusted death rates for seven of the 15 leading causes of mortality, including heart disease and cancer, according to preliminary figures.
Overall, the adjusted death rate fell to a record low of 746.2 deaths per 100,000 people, with a total of more than 2.4 million deaths. Hawaii was the state with the lowest mortality, with an adjusted rate of 589.6 deaths per 100,000 people. Mississippi had the highest death rate, 961.9 per 100,000 people.
Rates for five of the top 15 causes of death went up, including increases of 3.3 percent for Alzheimer’s disease and 4.6 percent for Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s the aging population,” said Dr. Roy N. Alcalay, an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center. “They’re not dying of these other diseases, so they’re dying from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”
Deaths from heart disease fell 2.4 percent, cancer deaths were down 0.6 percent, and deaths from chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke and accidents all fell by more than 1 percent.
Deaths from the bloodstream infection called septicemia fell by 3.6 percent and deaths caused by flu and pneumonia dropped a significant 8.5 percent.
“We’re doing a number of things right,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert and chair of the department of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Far fewer people died from influenza -- 494 deaths in 2010 vs. 2,918 in 2009 -- largely because of the impact of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, which spared older people and led to widespread vaccination and immunity, Schaffner said.
“More people were protected,” he added.
Deaths from pneumonitis, or pneumonia caused by aspiration of bits of food, liquid or other substances, rose to 17,001 in 2010, up from 15,948 in 2009.
It’s not clear why those deaths jumped by 4.1 percent last year, said Dr. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association. Aspiration can be a complication of medical procedures, but it can be prevented by following basic precautions such as not eating for several hours before an operation.
That troublesome lung condition rose to become the 15th top cause of death in 2010, bumping homicides out of that ranking for the first time since 1965.
LaFree, the Maryland criminologist, said there are several recognized factors that have led to the drop in violent assault deaths, including more people in prison, better law enforcement practices, the end of the crack cocaine drug epidemic of the late 1990s -- and the aging of a large swath of the population made up of the baby boom generation.
“I think that the key factor for crime going up is a legitimacy crisis,” said LaFree. “When people don’t think things are fair, they’re more likely to act out.”
Here are top five causes of death in 2010:
1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases
4. Stroke
5. Accidents
To see the top 15 causes of death and the rest of the report, click here:
Related stories:
Deaths from most cancers drop, report finds
U.S. life expectancy slipped as recession took hold
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Jeez, with poverty wages and no bennies and the homeless dropping like flies you gangsters better start killing more in the United States, not down South. Well I guess it's not worth the effort in the Food Stamp Nation.
I'm really glad 'old age' isn't a cause of death. When your heart stops beating at 110, you died of heart disease. (stupid).
You hear a lot of people going on about how unsafe the world is these days, how they'd never let their kids walk home from school, how they'd never go outside at night because, "You know, it's just not safe these days."
Truth is, America has been getting safer and safer for decades. Through liberal and conservative administrations, through recessions and prosperity, through all kinds of social and world changes, we've still managed to make our society safer since the 50s and 60s. Child abductions are lower. Murders are lower. Rape is lower. Fatal auto accidents are lower.
We're safer now than we have ever been. And yet we insist on talking about how dangerous it is "these days."
Maybe it is safer because people are being more careful?
I completely agree with you Mspielman! I think the media plays a large part in our misconceptions. With people watching more shows like CSI and Criminal Minds, it has made us paranoid. Couple that with the Internet and access to more news, we think there is more crime because we "see" it more now, but not because there actually IS more of it. My kids can't walk to the park by themselves--not because it makes ME uncomfortable, but because it would make society uncomfortable. It's a shame.
Read a bit deeper and you'll see that while people are killing others less often, people are killing themselves more often.
Says a lot about our materialistic society. IMHO.
well first of all...
noone takes into account any other factors then the usual stupid politics or other staticstics...
how many of these crimes that happen are created...?
first of all obama doesnt matter for @!$%#. I hate to be the bearer of bad news we dont pick our president you dumb s.o.b. if you think we do go take another hit of your crack pipe. republicans and democrats are the same exact thing they work for same ppl and take orders from the same ppl when their president.. they give us a rat race to keep us busy on cnn onama is winnign by 50% and over on fox the other guys winning by 50%. you guys are clueless mindless drones brainwashed by statistic and media and only think with introduced thoughts not thoughts of your own.
americans barely know how to wipe their ass... how many americans you know can properly cook,bake,or grow a veggie plant seed to finish?
think their gonna let you pick a president???!!! NONONONONONO!
how many ppl that have post traumatic stress disorder flip out and kill ppl?
how many ppl are so far pushed and stressed into debt and forced in a corner think about blowing their brains out everyday.i know i do
how many rapists and murderers watch tv? whats on tv 9 times outta ten? rape and murder... think that doesnt make their impulses start to kick in and they get an itch so they go rape or murder.same thing with child molesters.
theres no need for any of this... WERE ONE HUGE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT.
think about it... nothing in or on this earth ever costed us anything... just time knowledge hard work and dedication...so an elite family of ppl back years and years and years decided how they would rule the world. number one way to rule the populus?? religion.... business... MONEY!!! MONOPOLY
how do we get money? our central bank creates it out of thin air and puts it in our reserves and then theres debt attached to it to every single bill. that we have to pay back...how do we do that? WE DONT>> WE CANT...how do millions of citizens pay back an ever increasing debt? SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN... 80% of jobs can be automated in some way...we need a resource based economy that has no elite power... no stranglehold on the ppl... NO MONEY.. system based on needs a worldwide resource based network bent on making sure every human on the planet is fed watered properly living with needed vitamins minerals and everything else one can ask for.. we need to evolve. we need to advance as humans mentally an emotionally.. its been a long time weve been the same. time for evolution.. schools need to be reformed. kids need to be taught useful things not history thats basically full of lies and distorted truths.we need to teach kids about the aspect of life noone cares to learn and appreciate.. nature. how to plant gardens.. class for kids with psychic abilities... metaphysics.. need to teach about power of the mind. and how to use it. teach about astrology.. teach about mental barriers and meditation.
teach my kids how to survive in the wild if they needed i dont want my kid crunching numbers all day writing on and with cut down trees. its useless its to supress their minds while their young so when they get older they do what all of you do.. listen work and dont ask questions.
need to teach kids about the secret laws of the universe
i think these statistics are dumb. you all need to wake up. self educate yourselves on our government.
an ageing population will create less crime,just a fact of life.any other outcome would be news.
I'm glad homicide is down overall. However, here in my city, you'd never guess it.
MORE GUNS= LESS CRIME
-----------------------
Just more PROOF of having MORE GUNS in the hands of legal citizens = LESS CRIME
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The anti-gun loons must HATE this kind of news.. too funny
it has nothing to do with guns,demographics are hard stats to beat.if crime went up with an ageing population their would be some very busy drug companies.
HOCKEYPUCK
BZZZZZZZZZRRRRRZZZZZZZZZTTTTTT!!! Wrong answer!
If you look at .......
"Shall Issue Progress" www.kc3.com/CCW_progress.htm
and "Castle Doctrine" states en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Doctrine#cite_ref-9
You will learn that it has >"EVERYTHING" to do with people arming them selves.
Go Rangers
Look at trends of States that allow concealed carry. Lower crime rates. The States that have the toughest gun laws have the highest crime rates. Criminals do not want to risk being killed. Simple as that.
250 MILLION GUNS in The US and climbing= less crime
Love it
No one will believe you when you say assault is where it was in the 1960s
Of course because it's not true. They are basing the decline on percentages. If 50% are murdered in 1960 and 50% today, then there were fewer murders in 1960. In 1960 there were about 200 million people in the US. Today, there are over 310 million. The information they give is misleading.
you guys are all forgetting they put flouride in all public water except rich neighborhoods and cities which lowers IQ and causes as much teeth damage as soda. as well as making us all less agressive.. its in our meat and vegetables from watering animals n veggies too. just a thought. just like our GOVERNMENT just bought research from a company to put spermicide inside corn seeds and it grows into the plant... one ear of corn BAM no more kiddos... this could contribute to crime decrease severely
Guns sales are at an all time high. Could it be Joe Criminal is thinking twice about whom he attacks? Gun Control fools take note!
I'm sure some writers/ad execs/info people get paid to leak something positive to "John Q. Public" with the state of affairs in the Good 'Ole USA. Just like" Teen Pregnancy" rates are "down" for the past few years and the #1 show in the History of MTV is "16 and Pregnant". I'm sure the parents of Eve Carson are relieved to know that homicides are down for the first time in 40+ years. We need "Instant Death" to watch during prime time for those cold-blooded murderers...not a hotel with bars and lots of your "BFF"s that you and I pay for.That's justice?
P.S. I got off topic. :o{
i can`t believe this bit of news which should be a common assumption that crime is going down is even news.as the average age increases the crime rate will go down.also as the average age increases the general population will be more concerned about crime,especially violent.
good id like to see 600 million guns in the u.s. i personally would like a dozen.
the governments gonna have a @!$%# storm when they try to martial law us due to the civil unrest i expect in 6 months when the economy completely collapses..
also you guys know there is a military presence from irag we brought back n their active in the states training with the CDC for a huge bilogical outbreak running suburban practice tests teaching national guard to deal with americans how to detain us,as well as training scenarios for civil unrest and the collapse of america
just a thought like all the FEMA camps that all have new helicopter pads and structural upgrades... all new fences security systems and furnaces.. playgrounds inside maximum security fences.... color coded areas and are all off of main train lines with gates that are lik cattle run fences with barbed wire pointing inside to keep ppl in... were talking 1million person camps several of them... with many smaller ones and not only that there asking to have it fully staffed and ready to go in february n march but why?? where are they getting all these detainees to fill these camps to utilize all their staff. they asked for 100k interment specialists
just thought id share
A combination of factors, including gun sales being up, are most likely responsible. What is not responsible is any one administration, republican or democrat. All actions carry the potential for both positive and negative results. I would say we are seeing positive results, for a change.
there is no combination of factors on a national scale,maybe in smallareas.it is all about demographics and old people go to bed early,party less,and have in general been bad already and grow up.
psst ,got abit of freeadvice forya,invest in things old people need.
were seeing no results ppl are just getting better at disposing bodies...
look at missing persons n see how thats going haha
it is good that crime is going down but on the downside the chicks on average ain`t as hot.
haha like nursing education :P
lmao hockeypuck thats what happens when stupid ppl breed you get stupider ppl.
In my county in Florida they started dividing the murders/crimes up between gang related and nongang related. They then proceded to say the crime rate was down but they did not specify that this figure they were pushing did not include gang related crimes.
So it's very likely this statistic they are pushing is complete BS.
so you can enjoy the good points of an ageing population and acknowledge the downside,because there are not so great outcomes from having less young people on average among us.just stay away from gangs and try to keep up with the young so they don`t feel left alone.
This article should be printed the next time somebody whines about how many criminals are locked up in prison. The more murderers there are in jail rather than on the street, the lower the homicide rate will go.
Great decreases in homicide rates - thanks largely to an increase in potential murderers being aborted before having the chance. Gawd bless Amerka!