NSC Lists States with Lowest, Highest Preventable Death Rates
California has the lowest rate of preventable death – 35.0 per 100,000 residents – while West Virginia has the highest, at 104.2 deaths per every 100,000 residents, according to an annual list of states with the lowest and highest rates of unintentional, preventable deaths, which include poisonings – largely from drug overdoses – car crashes and falls.
Poisoning is the leading cause of preventable death in all 10 states with the highest mortality rates, and in five of the states with the lowest rates – a reminder of the national impact of the drug crisis. For the first time in U.S. history, a person is more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than a motor vehicle crash.