Number of Accidental Deaths Among Youth Declining in Connecticut

[Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify that the review was conducted by the Office of the Child Advocate and not the Commission on Children.]

Connecticut's Commission on Children announced at a panel discussion on Tuesday that the number of accidental deaths among children in the state has decreased over the past 10 years, according the San Francisco Examiner.

Child Advocate Jeanne Milstein told participants at the panel that, according to a preliminary review by the Office of the Child Advocate, accidental deaths such as drowning, car crashes and falls, decreased from 31 percent in 2001 to about 20 percent in 2010. Milstein attributed the decline to an increased number of prevention programs and graduated license restrictions for new drivers.

The suicide rate among the youth, however, is still a major concern, Milstein added, although it accounts for less than 10 percent of youth fatalities between 2001 and 2010. Earlier this year, Milstein that would allow teens to secure a restraining order against an abusive teen dating partner. She linked violence in teen dating relationships with an increased risk of suicide.