The evidence behind the actions

Poisoning and overdose

75,761

Unintentional poisoning deaths, U.S., 2024, all locations. This includes more than medicines. [2]

• Use prescription medicines only when prescribed to you; follow all medicine labels. Check for duplicate active ingredients and use the supplied dosing device for children.
• Close safety caps and put medicines away after every use, somewhere children cannot see or reach.
• Keep naloxone available when opioid overdose is a risk. For a suspected opioid overdose, give it if available, call 911 and stay with the person. Connect someone with opioid use disorder to treatment.

CDC medication safety and overdose guidance. [3]

Falls

48,308

Unintentional fall deaths, U.S., 2024, all locations. [2]

• Clear the route from bed to bathroom. Move cords, shoes and clutter; remove loose rugs or secure them with non-slip backing.
• Make steps and nighttime trips easier to see. Fix uneven stairs, replace dead bulbs and add nightlights.
• Add bathroom support: properly installed grab bars and non-slip tub or shower surfaces.

CDC STEADI home checklist. [4]

Suicide and firearm access

48,824

Suicide deaths, U.S., 2024, all methods and locations. Not a firearm-only count. [1]

• Store firearms locked and unloaded; secure ammunition separately. Hiding a gun or placing it high up is not secure storage.
• Reduce access to dangerous items during a crisis, including medications and firearms, and involve trusted support and professional help.
• Call or text 988 for suicide or mental-health crisis support. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency.

CDC storage and prevention guidance; NIMH crisis resources. [5] [6]

Fire and smoke

Test alarms monthly

USFA's current pages mix 2024 fire counts and older death tables. No current residential death count is claimed here. [7]

• Put smoke alarms inside every bedroom, outside sleeping areas and on every level. Test them monthly. Replace alarms at 10 years.
• Plan two ways out of every room, keep exits clear and choose an outdoor meeting place.
• Practice the escape plan with everyone in the home. Plan help for people who cannot get out independently.

USFA smoke-alarm and escape-plan guidance. [7]

Carbon monoxide

Alarms + distance

CO has no color or smell. It is also a poisoning hazard, so it must not be added to poisoning as an independent total. [8]

• Install battery-powered or battery-backup CO alarms near every sleeping area. Have fuel-burning equipment serviced annually.
• Run generators outdoors, more than 20 feet from doors, windows and vents. Never inside a home or garage, even with the door open.
• Never burn charcoal indoors. An open window does not make indoor combustion safe.

CDC and CPSC guidance. [8]

Drowning

Ages 1-4

Drowning is the leading cause of death in this age group nationwide, across locations. [9]

• Give children constant, close adult supervision around water, including bathtubs and buckets. Do not rely on swimming ability alone.
• Separate a pool from the house and yard with a four-sided fence and self-closing, self-latching gate.
• Learn CPR and water safety. Use multiple protections: a fence cannot replace an attentive adult.

CDC drowning facts and CPSC in-home safety. [9] [10]

Sleep-related suffocation

947

U.S. infant deaths classified as accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, 2024. Not all sudden infant deaths are suffocation. [11]

• Put babies on their back for every sleep, including naps.
• Use a firm, flat infant sleep surface with a fitted sheet. Keep pillows, loose blankets, bumpers and soft toys out.
• Share your room, not your bed. Keep the baby's separate crib or bassinet nearby, ideally for at least the first six months.

CDC infant-death data and safe-sleep recommendations. [11] [12]

Choking

Sit. Prepare. Watch.

No current home-only death count verified for this report.

• Keep young children seated upright while eating. Watch throughout meals and snacks.
• Match food texture and size to their development. Cut or mash foods; avoid whole grapes, nuts, popcorn and hard or sticky foods.
• Learn an age-appropriate choking response from a clinician or first-aid instructor before an emergency happens.

CDC choking prevention, updated March 2026. [13]

Radon and lung cancer

Test the home

A smoke or CO alarm does not substitute for a radon test.

• Test for radon, even without a basement. You cannot see or smell this radioactive gas.
• At 4 pCi/L or higher, arrange professional mitigation. Retest after the work to check that levels fell.

EPA's widely cited "about 21,000 deaths" is a historical model estimate: a 2003 analysis of 1995 lung-cancer deaths. It is not a newly measured 2026 count, so it is not plotted beside recent death totals.

EPA guidance, updated April 2026. [14]

Heart disease

683,491

U.S. deaths in 2024, all locations. The leading national cause of death. [1]

• Know your blood pressure and cholesterol. Work with your clinician to control them and manage diabetes if present.
• Avoid smoking and make regular activity and healthy eating part of the routine. These address major heart-disease risk factors.
• Get emergency help for possible heart-attack symptoms. Chest discomfort, shortness of breath, upper-body pain, nausea, dizziness or unusual fatigue can be warning signs.

CDC heart-disease information. [15]