Low-cost carbon monoxide detectors can save lives, and many states are beginning to require them.
Many are surprised to learn that carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the U.S. It takes some 2,000 lives a year and makes many more sick.

Though carbon-monoxide detectors are widely available, fewer than a third of homes have them. That could change as more states pass laws requiring them in homes.

Some cities are taking action on their own. Chicago and St. Louis, for example, have laws requiring them. The legislation has lifesaving effects. Cities that require carbon-monoxide detectors have much lower death rates from exposure to the gas than those that don't.

A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. In Chicago 0.4 percent of those exposed to the gas died. In Los Angeles, 15 percent of those exposed to carbon monoxide died.

There are many possible sources such as a furnace, kitchen stove, water heater, fireplace, generator, charcoal broiler, and anything that burns fossil fuels. Protect yourself and your household. Install a carbon-monoxide detector.