Healthy and Safe Swimming Week 2015

Make a Healthy Splash: Share the Fun, Not the Germs!

Darke County, Ohio- The Darke County Health Department would like to inform you that the week before Memorial Day (May 18-24, 2015) is Healthy and Safe Swimming Week. The goal of this Week is to maximize the health benefits of swimming by promoting healthy and safe swimming. Just 2.5 hours of water-based (or other forms of) physical activity per week has health benefits across a lifetime. We each play a role in preventing illnesses, caused by germs in the water we share and swim in, and injuries, such as drowning or those caused by mishandling pool chemicals.

Every day, two children less than 14 years old die from drowning. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Drowning is the leading cause of injury death for children 1-4 years old.

A few simple and effective prevention steps we can all take include:

Make sure everyone knows how to swim- Formal swimming lessons can protect your children from drowning. However, even when children have had formal swimming lessons, constant, careful supervision when children are in the water, and barriers, such as pool fencing to prevent unsupervised access, are still important.

Use life jackets appropriately- Potentially, half of all boating deaths might be prevented with the use of life jackets. This is important regardless of the distance to be traveled, the size of the boat, or the swimming ability of the boaters. Air filled or Foam Toys are not safety devices! These toys are not life jackets and are not designed to keep swimmers safe.

Provide continuous, attentive supervision close to swimmers- Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while in the bath and all children swimming or playing in or around water. Because drowning occurs quickly and quietly, adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity while supervising children, even if lifeguards are present.

Prevent access to water when pool is not in use- Install and maintain barriers like 4-sided fencing and weight-bearing pool covers. Use locks/alarms for windows and doors.

Know CPR- In the time it takes for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could save someone’s life. CPR classes are offered by the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org), Greenville Township EMS (www.townshipofgreenville.org) and Spirit Medical Transport (937-548-2800).

For more information about safe and healthy swimming, visit www.darkecountyhealth.org or www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html