Homicide and suicide rates--national violent death reporting system, six states, 2003.

In 2003, CDC instituted a new surveillance system, the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS); the system collects detailed information regarding violent deaths from multiple sources. This report describes preliminary 2003 data from the first six states that participated in NVDRS and compares these data with 1993-2002 data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). The findings indicate a substantial increase in homicide rates among young males from 2002 to 2003 and substantial increases in both homicide and suicide rates among males from 2000 to 2003. These findings underscore the need for states to have timely information for effective violence-prevention programs.