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Drowning Risks Still Exist After Pool Season Ends
Although Labor Day marks the unofficial close of outdoor swimming pool season, drowning risks for young children are significant year-round. According to recent data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), “drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4.” The biggest risks are found inside the home with around 92 percent of drowning incidents happening in residential settings, according to the agency.
The CPSC reports 660 submersion household water accidents involving children younger than five years old, from 2005 to 2009. Out of those, there were 431 deaths, 212 injuries and 17 accidents with undetermined injuries. Most of the victims were under two years old and involved baths or bath-related products (the leading cause of drowning for children behind swimming pools), while buckets, containers and even landscaping equipment were also involved in accidents.
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Bethel Acres Family in Fear of Pack of Dogs
In Bethel Acres, a family is worried for the safety of their children after discovering a pack of neglected dogs next door to their property. KFOR News reports that more than a dozen dogs have been left outside without food or water in the summer heat. The dogs have been wandering to neighboring properties in search of food, according to the parents of the children, even killing some of the family’s chickens. The father is concerned that the dogs may go after his children, saying, “(The dogs) got the taste of blood. You don’t know if it’s going to turn on to a kid or what it could be next.”
The neighbor, who is keeping the dogs, says that he is trying to give away the animals. He claims that the dogs were dumped there and he has been doing his best to care for them but cannot afford to feed them all. The man says, “The pound won’t let me take (the dogs) to them because we live out of county. If they come pick them up, they charge me $20 to $40.” According to the Bella Foundation, an organization that helps animals in the Oklahoma City area, most shelters do not charge a fee to drop off a stray and there are several pet adoption agencies that would be willing to help.
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Fireworks Safety Tips from the CPSC
In Oklahoma, fireworks are legal, except within most of the major metropolitan areas. If you and your family choose to set off fireworks this Fourth of July, it is important to observe the following safety tips set out by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):
- Be sure other people are out of the way when lighting fireworks. When observing, do not stand too close to fireworks. Never point or throw fireworks at other people.
- Do not experiment with homemade fireworks or try to combine fireworks.
- Do not stand directly over fireworks when lighting them. Always stand to the side and move back immediately after the fuse is lit.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Releases New Statistics on Drowning
At the press conference to kick-off their summer campaign “Pool Safely: Simple Steps Save Lives”, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced new statistics relating to drowning and near-drowning accidents. In the first five months of 2011 there have already been 55 drowning and 63 near-drowning incidents throughout 29 U.S. states and territories. What is even more shocking is that in each year from 2006-2008, an estimated average of 383 pool and spa-related drownings among children younger than fifteen took place with 76 percent being children under five years of age. Also alarming are statistics from 2008-2010 which show that in each of those years an average of 5,100 pool or spa submersion injuries for children younger than 15 were treated in emergency rooms. Of those cases, 79 percent were children under the age of five.
At the press conference, CPSC Chairman Inez M. Tenenbaum and U.S. Olympic swimmer Janet Evans spoke, reminding the public of the importance of pool safety. Chairman Tenenbaum stated that “the number of drownings and near-drownings involving children under five [is] still a serious public health issue”. Janet Evans gave advice from a mother’s perspective saying, “As a parent, I know how important it is that I take every precaution to ensure the safety of my children in and around the water—whether it’s providing swimming lessons, installing a pool alarm, or just keeping a close eye on them while they’re in the water—all these steps will help prevent an incident.”
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