millennials in danger

[Ken Gargett]

Avocado-related injuries sent 8,900 Americans to the ER last year

Angela Wang

10h

 

 

 

NatashaPhoto/iStock

• INSIDER analyzed government data and found 152 instances of avocado-related hospital visits last year.
• But the true number of avocado-related ER visits is closer to 8,900, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission told INSIDER.
• Most of those hurt were injured while cutting avocados, although at least one slipped off a stool while picking them.
• People injured by avocados are typically female, Caucasian, and millennial-aged.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

 

First, avocados were blamed for preventing millennials from buying homes. Then they were used as fake grenades in bank robberies. Now they're responsible for thousands of emergency room visits each year.

An INSIDER analysis of injuries reported to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) national injury database— a collection of data from a sample of emergency room visits across the country — found 152 mentions of avocados in 2018, and 117 mentions in 2017.

Because the database only includes incidents reported from 96 hospitals, the actual number of avocado injuries in the US is likely to be much higher. According to a calculation made by the agency's Epidemiology team and shared with INSIDER, the official estimate is 8,900 avocado-related ER visits in 2018.

Nearly all of those visits were due to lacerations and injuries to hands and fingers, caused while cutting avocados — although there was at least one instance of someone slipping off of a stool while picking avocados as well.

Avocados have been deemed a danger to the public before. In 2017, British reports described an epidemic of "avocado hand" after a surgeon London surgeons told The Times that they were treating a growing number of patients who had accidentally sliced into their hands while cutting avocados at home.

The US's estimated 8,900 avocado-related hospital visits in 2018 would equate to more than 160 per week, and approximately 24 per day nationwide.

INSIDER's analysis found that over 70% of the injuries were sustained by women, and, in cases where race was reported, 80% of injuries were sustained by white people. The oldest person to visit the ER for an avocado-related laceration was 75, and the youngest was 8. Most of those hurt by avocados were, in fact, millennials.

"A lot of times folks will try to remove the avocado pit with a carving knife or have their fingers wrapped around the avocado while they're cutting. Both of those techniques could lead to a bad cut and a trip to the ER," Joe Galbo, the CPSC's social media specialist, told INSIDER.

Ever since "avocado hand" became a thing, Galbo's team has periodically been posting an avocado warning message— inspired by a Nicolas Cage quote from "The Rock" — to the agency's Twitter page.

"We know it's not as cool as using a knife, but removing the pit with a spoon is the best way to stay safe while cooking with avocado," he said.

[Buck14]

2 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

Avocado-related injuries sent 8,900 Americans to the ER last year

Angela Wang

10h

 

 

 

NatashaPhoto/iStock

• INSIDER analyzed government data and found 152 instances of avocado-related hospital visits last year.
• But the true number of avocado-related ER visits is closer to 8,900, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission told INSIDER.
• Most of those hurt were injured while cutting avocados, although at least one slipped off a stool while picking them.
• People injured by avocados are typically female, Caucasian, and millennial-aged.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

 

First, avocados were blamed for preventing millennials from buying homes. Then they were used as fake grenades in bank robberies. Now they're responsible for thousands of emergency room visits each year.

An INSIDER analysis of injuries reported to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) national injury database— a collection of data from a sample of emergency room visits across the country — found 152 mentions of avocados in 2018, and 117 mentions in 2017.

Because the database only includes incidents reported from 96 hospitals, the actual number of avocado injuries in the US is likely to be much higher. According to a calculation made by the agency's Epidemiology team and shared with INSIDER, the official estimate is 8,900 avocado-related ER visits in 2018.

Nearly all of those visits were due to lacerations and injuries to hands and fingers, caused while cutting avocados — although there was at least one instance of someone slipping off of a stool while picking avocados as well.

Avocados have been deemed a danger to the public before. In 2017, British reports described an epidemic of "avocado hand" after a surgeon London surgeons told The Times that they were treating a growing number of patients who had accidentally sliced into their hands while cutting avocados at home.

The US's estimated 8,900 avocado-related hospital visits in 2018 would equate to more than 160 per week, and approximately 24 per day nationwide.

INSIDER's analysis found that over 70% of the injuries were sustained by women, and, in cases where race was reported, 80% of injuries were sustained by white people. The oldest person to visit the ER for an avocado-related laceration was 75, and the youngest was 8. Most of those hurt by avocados were, in fact, millennials.

"A lot of times folks will try to remove the avocado pit with a carving knife or have their fingers wrapped around the avocado while they're cutting. Both of those techniques could lead to a bad cut and a trip to the ER," Joe Galbo, the CPSC's social media specialist, told INSIDER.

Ever since "avocado hand" became a thing, Galbo's team has periodically been posting an avocado warning message— inspired by a Nicolas Cage quote from "The Rock" — to the agency's Twitter page.

"We know it's not as cool as using a knife, but removing the pit with a spoon is the best way to stay safe while cooking with avocado," he said.

Sounds like a good selection process for population control to me.

[Fuzz AI]

Time to stock up on these for all those precious little millennials.

[bpm32]

My 84 year-old Chinese grandmother recently discovered the avocado. Her Jewish Millennial doctor told her about them and she’s been peddling avocados the last few weeks to us grandkids like she invented them.

[Islandboy]

Who knew avocados would be the next target of the nannies? I’ve nurtured both a love for the fruit, as well as a prolifically producing tree on my property over the decades, with nary a scratch. This does not bode well for society ?

[Ken Gargett]

2 hours ago, bpm32 said:

My 84 year-old Chinese grandmother recently discovered the avocado. Her Jewish Millennial doctor told her about them and she’s been peddling avocados the last few weeks to us grandkids like she invented them.

that is fabulous.

all this fuss over the simple avo is beyond most australians (at least those aged at least 40. been eating them forever. 

[IanMcLean68]

Really? The avocado is their undoing? I would dare say many of us older generation, including myself, have been eating them forever without so much as a scratch.
A scarily common story with millennials. Expert this, title that, reputation in place, nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more.
Actually put to the simplest of tests ... fails dismally.

[Cairo]

Many years ago I lived in a house in Newport Beach California USA that had an avocado tree.    Fresh avocados taste like candy--nothing like what you buy in a store.

[PigFish]

... wait until they discover the artichoke. Game over!

-the Pig

[wineguy]

[etakmit]

15 hours ago, wineguy said:

Unfortunately way too true

[IanMcLean68]

19 hours ago, wineguy said:

What is a shame is that the emasculated snowflake on the right is probably not emasculated enough to prevent this from happening.

[nKostyan]

At the photo on the left, a Nazi on a motorcycle ‍Not a good example. Looks like this collage was made by the stupid guy on right photo...

 

[Ken Gargett]

1 hour ago, nKostyan said:

At the photo on the left, a Nazi on a motorcycle ‍Not a good example. Looks like this collage was made by the stupid guy on right photo...

 

must say that i also thought the photo on the left was of a nazi. 

[nKostyan]

must say that i also thought the photo on the left was of a nazi. 

Such confusions happen even in Russia, when Millennials prepare posters for veterans on the day of the great victory (WWII)