Ending Injury Data Collection Jeopardizes Consumer Safety

Washington, D.C. - Consumer Federation of America strongly condemns the devasting cuts forcing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to halt critical injury data collection as early as this Friday. Injury is the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 45. The CPSC protects Americans by reducing the risk of injury from consumer products.

The CPSC relies on the National Electronic Surveillance System (NEISS) as a primary tool for monitoring and addressing consumer product-related injuries in the United States. NEISS collects data from a nationally representative sample of approximately 100 hospital emergency departments, capturing details on visits involving consumer product-related injuries. The data enables CPSC to produce statistically valid national estimates of injuries associated with specific products, detect trends, identify emerging hazards, develop safety standards, initiate product recalls, and conduct follow-up investigations.

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System - All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) is an expansion of CPSC's NEISS, developed in partnership between the CPSC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because of mass firings at CDC, the All Injury Program (AIP) is ending. According to an exclusive Reuters report, an email to participating hospitals and data contractors stated, "due to the recent reductions-in-force and budget cuts across CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the AIP supported portion of the NEISS is coming to an end very quickly." The email is reported to have also stated that "CPSC does not have the resources to wind down AIP in an orderly and structured manner."

"Data from NEISS and NEISS-AIP are among our most powerful tools for protecting families and children from preventable harm," said Courtney Griffin, Director of Consumer Product Safety at the Consumer Federation of America. "The end of NEISS-AIP marks a troubling trend-without comprehensive injury data, the very agency tasked with our safety is left in the dark. Without comprehensive injury data, the CPSC may be unable to detect emerging hazards, issue life-saving recalls, or establish strong safety standards that keep us all safe. This loss puts every household at greater risk."