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SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1988
HOME ACCIDENTS ON THE RISE
THE DEATH TOLL OF ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT 130 LAST YEAR, WHICH IS A 53 PER CENT INCREASE OVER 1986.
STOOD AT
HALF OF
ACCORDING TO THE STATISTICS FROM THE CORONER'S COURT, THE DEATHS WERE RESULTANT FROM FALLS, SUCH AS FALLING FROM HEIGHT, BED, STAIRCASE, OR SLIPPING ON WET FLOOR.
OTHER CAUSES INCLUDED CHOKING FROM FOOD, BURNS, AND DROWNING.
"LAST YEAR, WE WITNESSED MANY TRAGIC ACCIDENTS, SPECIALLY THOSE HAPPENING TO YOUNG CHILDREN, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS WERE TAKEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOME SAFETY CAMPAIGN PUBLICITY COMMITTEE, MR GEORGE YUEN, SAID.
TT
"BUT WE ARE GLAD TO LEARN FROM THE STATISTICS THAT FATAL HOME ACCIDENTS INVOLVING CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OLD HAVE BEEN DECREASING, MR YUEN SAID.
"THE FIGURE WAS 53 FOR 1983 BUT IT HAS GRADUALLY COME 21 LAST YEAR," HE SAID.
DOWN то
FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE COMMITTEE, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED, LAUNCHED LARGE SCALE CAMPAIGNS TO PROMOTE HOME SAFETY, WITH THE EMPHASIS ON SAFEGUARDING OUR CHILDREN.
"A TV API (ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST) WITH THE THEME *NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN UNATTENDED AT HOME' STARTED SCREENING IN JULY WHILE A CORRESPONDING POSTER WAS MOUNTED IN GOVERNMENT DISPLAY WINDOWS, MTR AND KCR STATIONS, MR YUEN SAID.
"
"AN EXHIBITION FEATURING ALL THE HIDDEN DANGERS IN THE HOME AND AT THE SAME TIME ILLUSTRATING SIMPLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES, WAS FIRST HELD IN SHA TIN IN SUMMER AND LATER WENT ON TOUR AROUND 12 PUBLIC ESTATES TO DRIVE HOME THE MESSAGE A SAFE HOME IS A HAPPY HOME', HE SAID.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT OLD PEOPLE OF 70 YEARS OLD OR ABOVE ARE VERY VULNERABLE AND ACCIDENT-PRONE EVEN IN THE ENVIRONMENT MOST FAMILIAR TO THEM.
"FIFTY-THREE OLD CITIZENS WERE KILLED IN HOME ACCIDENTS LAST YEAR, MAINLY AS A RESULT OF FALLS OR CHOKING FROM FOOD," MR YUEN SAID.
"IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, THE CAMPAIGN WILL CONTINUE STRONG EMPHASIS ON THE ELDERLY.
WITH
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