Safety tips for pools aim to reduce the number of drowning children



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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children aged 1 to 4 years. (IStock)

While the summer is in full swing, the pools invite kids to take flight, cool down and have fun.

Brain damage or death is out of the mind of most families who own or use swimming pools. But they should not be. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the main cause of unintentional death in children aged 1 to 4 years. For each child drowning, five others go to the emergency department for a non-fatal injury related to submersion.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched a national public education campaign to reduce child drowning and pool trapping. Pool Safely was designed to educate parents and children about the risks of swimming – and how to avoid them without giving up summer recreation.

The campaign website, poolsafely.gov, contains information to help parents and other caregivers deal with swimming pool safety. It includes educational materials and suggestions on how to advocate for safer pools. There is also an application to teach children to stay safe in the water.

Nearly 90,000 people committed to the campaign, promising to take safety measures such as appointing a water monitor with young people and removing portable pool ladders when not in use. Olympian Michael Phelps is one of the most visible advocates of this commitment.

The program's blog highlights swimming pool safety issues, including disparities in swimming education. In 2017, a survey sponsored by the US Swimming Foundation revealed that nearly 64% of African-American children have no swimming capacity or low swimming capacity, compared to 40% of white children. Seventy-nine percent of children surveyed from families with household incomes below $ 50,000 had no swimming capacity or low swimming capacity.

"Sometimes there is no recovery," warns a Pool Safely PSA. This is serious, but true: pools can result in death or injury for life. Those who survive a near-drowning risk everything from pneumonia to brain damage or persistent vegetative states. However, a little preventive preparation, a little vigilance and a commitment to safety can keep the pleasure of focusing.

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