We're killing ourselves.
Two recent reports show accidents and fatalities grouped as "deaths of despair" are increasing at alarming rates.
The June 10 News Tribune published an Associated Press story that reported: "A new report from the National Safety Council said in 2014, more than 136,000 Americans died accidentally. That's up 4.2 percent from the year before and a jump of 15.5 percent over a decade."
A separate Associated Press story in Tuesday's Health section began: "Rising drug and alcohol overdoses, suicides and disease from chronic alcoholism - labeled 'deaths of despair' by one expert - are cutting the lives of white Americans short by nearly a half a year on average."
The story is based on data from a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
Both stories referenced opioid drug overdoses.
"Overdose and accidental poisonings," according to the story based on the National Safety Council report, "are up 78 percent over a decade - pushing aside car crashes as the No. 1 accidental killer in the U.S."
The CDC study focused largely on white life expectancy and attributed the largest negative impact - four fewer months of life expectancy - to drugs and alcohol.
Accidental deaths - at home, work and in vehicles - have become the fourth leading killer in the U.S., behind the traditional leaders - heart disease, cancer and respiratory diseases.
"Every accident is preventable," said Ken Kolosh, the safety council's statistical manager.
Council statistics show an American dies of accidental injury every four minutes and a non-fatal injury accident occurs every second.
Our readers are aware of our emphasis on public safety, as well as health and mental health initiatives.
That's because we agree most accidents are preventable; signs of despair, addiction and suicide are identifiable; and timely, caring, professional intervention is effective.
Accidents and "deaths of despair" compound and radiate grief among families, loved ones and communities.
These trends can be reversed if we recommit to watching for dangerous conditions and troubled behavior.