Drop in Coin Choking Incidents Linked to Rise in Digital Payments

Quick Summary

• Children Ingesting Coins: around 61% of foreign objects ingested by children under five are coins, posing choking or digestive hazards.
• UK Study Findings: Research from the Royal College of Surgeons indicates a 29% decline in medical procedures to remove coins and other foreign bodies over the past decade,coinciding with increased use of cashless payments.

– in 2012, 2,405 children required such procedures; this number dropped to 1,716 in 2022.

• Possible Factors for Decline: Drivers include reduced circulation of coins due to digital payments adoption since ~2012. Other contributing factors include public awareness about choking hazards, childproof packaging innovations, better parental supervision during COVID-19 lockdowns, and reduced hospital visits during the pandemic.
• Digital payment Trends: Cash usage declined substantially post-COVID (18% of total payments in the U.S. for adults in 2022 compared to 26% in 2019). Younger generations overwhelmingly prefer digital payments (85% Gen Z opting for mobile wallets).
• Emerging Hazards from Modern Tools: Button batteries from electronic devices are reducing safety benefits despite declines linked specifically to coin ingestion.

Images Included:

1. A baby holding a coin (illustrating potential hazard).

!Fewer Kids Are Choking on Coins Thanks to Digital Payments