Teach Children The Importance Of Water Safety This Summer

Jet, July 30, 2001

Summer just wouldn't be summer without trips to the swimming pool, beach or water park. And where there is water, there are bound to be children splashing, playing and enjoying a good, wet time.

But water and kids can make a dangerous mix. Drowning is the nation's second-leading cause of injury-related death for children, the National Center for Health Statistics reports. Even worse, Black children drown at overall higher rates than Whites, with Black children ages 5 to 19 drowning at 2.5 times the rate of White children in 1998. Also, diving and jumping into shallow or unfamiliar water are causes of serious injury and death in children.

To keep water fun from turning into tragedy this summer, safety experts say fsmilies should practice the following water-safety tips:

* Never leave your children unsupervised around water. Even if your child is a great swimmer, or if the water is very shallow, under no circumstances should kids be left alone near water: pools, hot tubs, streams, lakes, wells, drainage ditches, even bathtubs, buckets and toilets, especially in the case of infants and toddlers. And everyone should always swim with a buddy.

* Take swimming and safety courses. Experts say the best thing children and adults can do to stay safe in and near water is to learn to swim. Parents and older children also should learn CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) and other life-saving techniques.

* Never force your child into water if he or she is afraid Experts say you should teach children to swim only when they are ready (usually around age 5). And never, ever try to teach a child to swim by throwing him or her into the water (the sink-or-swim method). They can drown or be traumatized by the experience.

* Actively watch children in water. Children, especially young ones, often can't make a sound to alert you that they are in danger. In fact, most drown in silence. Therefore, you, and whoever else is supervising children in water, should have complete attention on them.

* Don't drink and dive. Alcohol use is involved in about 25 to 50 percent of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reports. Never before or during swimming, boating or water sports and teach children the dangers.

* Keep basic life-saving equipment on hand. Public pools and beaches have emergency equipment, but if you have a backyard pool, experts say invest in a reaching pole, a ring buoy, a portable phone to call 911 and U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation devices.