Fewer people will be in the water now that our weather has taken a turn for the cooler, but pool safety is still a relevant concern for parents now that pools are open.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) kicked off its third annual Pool Safety: Simple Steps Save Lives campaign last week, with this year’s focus on populations most at risk of drowning.
For instance, CPSC numbers show children younger than five represent nearly 75% of child drowning deaths. Also, African American and Hispanic children between the ages of 5 and 14 drown at higher rates than white children in the same age group. And data from USA Swimming shows 70% of African American children and 62% of Hispanic children cannot swim.
In a statement, CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said, “Drowning is still the leading cause of unintentional deaths with children younger than 5. That’s why the Pool Safely campaign is encouraging all parents and caregivers of children, especially African American and Hispanic children, to help them learn to swim and to take water safety seriously.”
WKOW ran a story about the new numbers last week. Here’s a link: http://bit.ly/KBwLIn
And you can find the CPSC’s complete Pool and Spa Submersion report for 2012 at www.cpsc.gov
For the complete reports see: Pool and Spa Submersions 2012 (pdf) and Circulation/Suction Entrapments 2012 (pdf). The years for reported injury and fatality statistics differ due to a lag in fatality reporting.
The Pool Safely campaign is CPSC’s public education and information program supporting the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (P&SS Act), federal legislation signed into law in 2007, mandating new requirements for pool and spa safety.
