Both forms increased somewhat during the 1990s but there has been no corresponding increase in mortality. Both lung cancer and mortality from lung cancer are increasing among women but decreasing among men. Reduced mortality from accidents Accidental injuries are the largest cause of death for the ages up to 45 years. Mortality form accidents has declined by 37 per cent for men and almost halved for women since 1980. Two-thirds of those who die of their injuries are men.
Traffic predominates as the cause of fatal accidents, causing one-fifth of all accidental deaths.
Mortality from accidents is greatest in sparsely-populated areas. Falls are the commonest cause of accidents for all ages but particularly among the elderly. Suicide decreasing The frequency of suicide continues to decrease and during the past two decades suicide mortality has decreased by 38 per cent for both sexes. On the other hand, suicide attempts are commoner among women than among men. Changed drinking habits with reduced consumption of spirits have probably contributed to this.