Report Reveals Big Rise in U.S. Carbon Monoxide Deaths

THURSDAY, March 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reveals deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are increasing in the United States.

The report looked at carbon monoxide deaths from 2009 to 2019, finding 250 consumer product-related carbon monoxide deaths in 2019, more than any other year.

Generators and other engine-driven tools accounted for the largest percentage of deaths. Since 2009, portable generators alone have been associated with 765 carbon monoxide-poisoning deaths not related to fires. That is 40 percent of all carbon monoxide deaths related to consumer products, a CPSC news release noted.

The CPSC warns that portable generators should only be used outside. They should be at least 20 feet from the home with exhaust pointed away from any nearby building.

Heating systems were associated with the second largest percentage of carbon monoxide poisoning deaths not involving fires for 2019, with 69 deaths, or 28 percent of the total associated with products in this category.

More than half of all carbon monoxide deaths occur in the colder months of November, December, January, and February. Carbon monoxide is an invisible killer because it is colorless and odorless. It can kill in minutes. Someone exposed to it may become unconscious before recognizing the symptoms of nausea, dizziness, or weakness.

More Information