Today, July 25, 2022 is World Drowning Prevention Day!
World Drowning Prevention Day was established by the United Nations through a 2021 General Assembly Resolution to address the significant global public health risk posed by drowning.
This year, the UN has called for people around the world to “do one thing” to prevent drowning.” As one of the leading causes of death globally for children and young people ages 1–24, and the third leading cause of injury-related deaths overall, drowning tragically claims more than 236 000 lives each year.
WHO suggests the following activities:
- Individuals can share drowning prevention and water safety advice with their families, friends and colleagues, sign up for swimming or water safety lessons, or support local drowning prevention charities and groups.
- Groups can host public events to share water safety information, launch water safety campaigns, or commit to developing or delivering new drowning prevention programmes using recommended best practice interventions.
- Governments can develop or announce new drowning prevention policies, strategies, legislation or investment, convene multisectoral roundtables or parliamentary discussions on drowning burden and solutions, and introduce or commit to supporting drowning prevention programming domestically or internationally.
Lifejackets for life will be following up on the progress of the Lifejackets for Life Act in Ontario, Canada and our efforts to have the first “Kids Don’t Float” Lifejacket loaner station constructed in the Ottawa area. What will you do today to prevent a drowning?
If you’re looking for ideas, you can write to your MP if you think lifejackets/PFDs should be mandatory for kids in recreational boating and sign our petition.
To support the Life Jackets for Life Act in Ontario, find your MPP and express the importance of this Act being presented again for first reading with the Ontario legislature.
Change the law. Save a life.
