The age-adjusted annual death rate increased from 0.4 per 100,000 persons in 1979 to 4.2 per 100,000 persons in 1987 (Figure 1). For men, the annual rate increased from 0.5 to 4.6 per 100,000, and for women, from 0.3 to 3.9 per 100,000. For blacks and whites, rates increased with age; ….