DATE:
May 18, 2021
18
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
ENHANCING DROWNING PREVENTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY YOUTH (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Swimming is a life skill that is not easily accessible to all residents throughout our communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability; This includes 64% of African American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children.
One in five people who die from accidental drownings are children 14 years of age and younger. In California, drowning is a leading cause of injury-related deaths among children under the age of five. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency rooms require hospitalization for nonfatal drownings, however, injuries can include severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning. Formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.
During the period from 2014 through 2020, an annual average of 28 residents died due to drowning, 45 residents were hospitalized, and 117 residents were discharged from the emergency department due to drowning or near drowning in San Diego County. Additionally, in 2019, 100 fatal and non-fatal drownings went through Rady Children's Hospital. Addressing this disparity in our region will save lives and help address equity within our many communities by adding opportunities for San Diego County children to learn basic drowning prevention skills.
Today's recommendation directs the Chief Administrative Officer to work with existing partners focused on drowning prevention to develop a drowning prevention outreach campaign in collaboration with First 5 San Diego in support of the Li...
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