Firearms, car crashes among leading causes of death among Arizona children, report shows

PHOENIX — A report released last month detailed the leading causes of death among Arizona children over the past year.

The 31st annual Arizona Child Fatality Review report showed that firearms, car crashes and drownings were the top causes of child fatalities in 2023.

The report found firearms were the leading cause of deaths among those aged between 15 and 17 and the second-most preventable deaths behind car crashes.

Sixty-eight Arizona children lost their lives to firearms last year, a 170% increase over the past ten years. Forty-four percent of those deaths were caused by suicide, while the rest were considered homicides. The review committee deemed 100% of those deaths preventable.

Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, said for the first time the review committee recommended parents remove firearms from the home if an adolescent is living there.

He said teens can be impulsive and make a decision they can’t take back.

“One of the characteristics of an older teen is their brains are still forming,” Humble said. “They can be really impetuous and not think things through.”

The report also looks at how mental health struggles, behavioral problems or substance abuse can increase the chances of a firearm death.

Humble says the report stopped short of recommending the Arizona State Legislature pass a child firearm access prevention law in which gunowners are required to keep firearms and ammunition locked up and out of reach from children in the home.

“If you don’t handle that firearm and store it properly, you’re both criminally and civilly liable for what bad things might happen,” Humble said.

He said other states with these laws have fewer firearm deaths among adolescents but doesn’t expect the legislature to act on it.

What are other leading causes of death among Arizona children?

The leading cause of deaths among 5-14 year olds was motor vehicle crashes, the most preventable cause of death.

The report says 81 adolescents died in car crashes last year, making up 10% of all child deaths.

The report recommended putting children under 13 in the back seat, using child safety seats and increasing awareness of the risks of driving under the influence.

Of those, 49% of deaths did not have a seat restraint and 43% were under the influence. Humble says there are laws in Arizona requiring children sit in the back seat and are properly restrained.

He said parents should not allow teen drivers to transport younger siblings. He said the younger sibling could be a distraction and the young driver lacks experience on the road.

Suffocating and drowning remained the leading causes of death among infant to 4-year-olds, according to the report. Fifty-two infants suffocated in 2023, while 31 drowned.

Humble said suffocation is predominately due to unsafe sleep environments.

“There are campaigns letting parents know that babies get put to bed on their back, and they don’t have any pillows or anything in their crib and under no circumstances bring your baby into bed with you,” Humble said.