US official calls violence the top health problem

Violence is the nation's No. 1 health problem, with people between the ages of 15 and 24 the most affected, the US surgeon general says.

In that age group, murders, suicides, and motor vehicle deaths cause a loss of ''millions of years of life,'' Dr. C. Everett Koop said. More than 15,000 are killed in car crashes each year. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among young males and the fourth among young females. Dr. Koop added that family financial problems, isolation, and television often lead to violence.