In 2016, which of the following was the leading cause of death by unintentional injury?

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In 2016, poisoning emerged as the leading cause of death due to unintentional injuries primarily because of the significant increase in opioid overdose deaths, which became a major public health crisis that year. The rise in prescription opioid use and the proliferation of illicit drugs, particularly synthetic opioids like fentanyl, contributed markedly to the overall statistics for unintentional poisonings.

Although falls, choking, and drowning are also notable causes of unintentional injury deaths, their impact on the total numbers did not surpass that of poisoning in 2016. Falls were significant, particularly among older adults, while choking and drowning accounted for fewer deaths overall compared to the staggering toll of drug-related fatalities. Therefore, the statistics from that year clearly reflect that poisoning was the predominant cause of unintentional injury-related deaths.