- 256 children an hour are taken to hospitals following accidents. At least 700 will die and 10,000 will be left disabled. Annually, 30,000 children are chemically poisoned and 3,500 under 5 year olds are seriously scalded
- 450 children start smoking each day - some as young as 5 years old. A third of those young smokers will die prematurely as a result of their habit.
- 3% of children use cocaine or heroin. A surprising number of primary school children are addicted to heroin, and by the age of 14 three per cent of children will have tried cocaine.
- Each year 1,000 young people under the age of 15 need emergency treatment for alcohol poisoning.
- Each year there are in excess of 50,000 home fires in the UK. These account for 46% of all child accident fatalities.
- Every year 2,600 are victims of serious cases of cruelty and neglect 577 children are abducted.
The Children's Safety Education Foundation works directly with schools and teachers to help increase the
safety of young people. They do this by providing educational materials that focus on building general
safety awareness and reducing the number of accidents involving this vulnerable group.
Their comprehensive range of educationally validated resources are designed to teach children how to
develop the knowledge and skills to remain safe in a variety of hazardous environments. The objective
is to provide them with sufficient information to make informed decisions and resist peer pressures
The Children’s Safety Education Foundation website is full of great resources and information.
