Family Safety/Injury Prevention
The most effective safety and injury prevention programs acknowledge
that changing human behavior is but one strategy to save lives.
EDC's Health and Human Development
Programs (HHD) emphasizes a combination of strategies, including
legislation and policy development (e.g., drinking age limits; helmet
laws), education (e.g., driver education, poison hotline awareness),
and product or environmental modification (e.g., childproof medicine
containers, fences around swimming pools). Working with practitioners,
state and federal agencies, and national organizations, EDC builds
skills and expertise to reduce death and disability.
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TOUR EDC'S ONLINE
RESOURCES
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Children's Safety
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The Children's Safety Network (CSN) works with state agencies
to develop and implement injury, suicide, and violence prevention
programs. It also helps state and local health departments
promote effective strategies in such areas as motor vehicle,
bicycle, and playground safety; poison and fire hazards; and
child abuse and neglect. 
CSN's work in suicide prevention and motor vehicle safety
is featured in an article of the Fall 2001 issue of Mosaic,
"The Science of Healthy Behavior."
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Injury Prevention
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In most cases, "injury is not an accident." It is not the
result of unpredictable or unavoidable occurrences. Instead,
most injuries are foreseeable events with known causes and
risk factors-and are therefore preventable. HHD's Susan
Gallagher draws lessons from her two decades of research
in advocacy
in her book, Injury Prevention and Public
Health: Practical Knowledge, Skills, and Strategies,
(co-authored with Tom Christoffel).
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Passenger Safety
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HHD researchers recently completed a study
of educational materials related to child passenger safety-including
information on car seats and seat belts for young children.
The study found significant problems with the content, availability,
accuracy, and appropriateness of materials designed to teach
adults how to transport children safely.
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Suicide Prevention
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The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) supports suicide prevention with the best of science, skills and practice. The Center provides technical assistance, training, and informational materials to strengthen suicide prevention networks and advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
EDC is also currently home to the National Center for Suicide
Prevention Training, a collaborative project with the Harvard
Injury Control Research Center and the Northeast Injury Prevention
Network. The Network provides educational resources to help
public officials, service providers, and community-based coalitions
develop effective suicide prevention programs and policies.
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Traffic Safety
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Building Safe Communities, an
online newsletter of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, supports community-based efforts to prevent
motor vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian injuries.
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