Today, we want to explore a brand new law in Florida that takes aim at preventing child drowning deaths. Any regular readers of our blog should know that we are dedicated in our efforts to prevent drowning deaths. After all, one of our most commonly cited statistics states that drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged one to four. You can find that information and more on the CDC website.
In spite of the efforts of water safety professionals, we have still been unable to truly stem the tide of drowning danger. Let’s take a closer look at how this new law hopes to prevent drowning deaths.
Understanding This New Law in Florida
This new law that aims to prevent drowning deaths is called “Every Child a Swimmer.” In short, the law requires Florida public schools to ask parents if their child has taken swim lessons. If not, safety and educational materials will be provided. Once active, it takes effect for the 2022-2023 school year.
Many of our readers may not realize this, but Life Saver Pool Fence has its origins in Florida. Though it is a nationwide service, our headquarters remain in the sunshine state. Keeping this in mind, this new law hit home for us. It tackles an issue that is frequently discussed on this safety blog.
For our part, we encourage everyone to seek out proper swimming safety training. After all, education greatly helps to reduce the risk of drowning. According to the Red Cross, swim lessons are shown to reduce the risk of a child drowning by close to 88%. When it comes down to it, wanting to prevent drowning deaths should be everyone’s concern.
You can learn more about this new law in Florida via this informative news story.
The Value of Swimming Lessons to Prevent Drowning Deaths
Now that we’ve examined the new law in Florida, let’s talk about education. Though this law is aimed at kids, swimming lessons are a terrific idea for anyone, regardless of age.
Granted, it may be January, but water safety never stops. Even though many of our readers have closed their pools for the colder months, there’s always time to learn more about drowning prevention. Plenty of indoor swim classes are available during the frigid wintertime. There’s always time to practice safety and prevent drowning deaths.
For children, swimming lessons are great for a variety of reasons. Beyond safety, it helps to build their self-confidence in the water while teaching them a critical life skill. Pool fences and life preservers are great… but cannot prevent all danger. Self-reliance is a life-saving skill that all kids should learn.
To get started, find a local swimming lesson instructor. These lessons offer children the necessary tools to save their own lives in an emergency. It can even translate to boating safety and other situations. For example, if someone falls off a boat, proper swimming skills are perfect to help prevent drowning deaths. It just makes good sense to properly train and be prepared before taking a dip in the water.
