Human beings have been given the most beautiful gift of all-personal choice. It is this gift that has changed the path of human life from the dark ages to modernity, hunter-gatherer groups to industrialized societies and walking to driving cars. Every historical, social, economic and ecological shift begins with exercising a choice in the way humans wish to conduct their lives. The consequences of these choices are often unseen, latent and often ignored. The immense power of human choice can move mountains, create wars, give birth to global warming, save lives and prevent injuries.
In the past few months there has been a rash of head injuries from skateboarding and biking. Recently two HSU students were air-lifted out of the area due to head injuries. According to reports, the head injuries were due to absence of helmet use. Researchers asked community members and students in a alternate-transportation-savvy town in Colorado as to the reason why most people didn't wear helmets while riding a bike or skateboarding; the most stated response was that the decision to wear a helmet was a matter of personal choice.
Most injuries of this type are defined as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is a blow or jolt to the head that causes damage to the brain. Often called concussion in its more mild form, more than one million people in the United States annually acquire some level of traumatic brain injury (Rutland-Brown, Langlois, Thomas, & Xi, 2003). This includes both death and lasting injury. The number one cause of TBI is falls, followed closely by automobile, truck and motorcycle collisions. Fall-related head injuries range from slipping in the bathtub to falling off a bike, skateboard, ladder, skiing, or a horse to slipping on wet pavement. TBI often results in memory loss, visual changes, disorientation, fatigue, personality disorders, depression, motor skill loss, isolation and loss of relationships. Statistics show that the highest risk group is males age 17 to 24.
Personal choice is a matter of power. Studies and experience shows that helmet use, sobriety and forethought contribute significantly to the prevention of head injuries. In fact, 85 percent of all TBI is preventable by choice and in today's environment; choice can be your best investment. With the average injury costing between 4 and 5 million dollars in medical and mental health care over a lifetime, consider the $10-$20 cost of a helmet or the intoxicant that's not purchased and ingested. Knowledge is also a tool to preventing TBI. Educating yourself about TBI and how to prevent it places more power in your hands because you have more information from which to make better choices. If personal choice is the power to control your destiny, then ignoring that choice is a decision to put yourself at risk. Empower your choices now: "use your head, use a helmet." -Connie Wong, Making Headway Intern
For more information on TBI, check out Making Headway Center for Brain Injury Recovery. Making Headway is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of TBI. Their services include prevention education, family and individual counseling, case management, informational referrals and support groups that help with pain management, substance abuse, and anger management. Check them out at (www.MHWcenter.org)
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