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Article: Understimating the problem: drowning deaths are seriously in the U.S.--and everyone pays the price.(Perspectives)(faulty reporting of accidents and lack of funding)
- Article from:
- Aquatics International
- Article date:
- November 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Hanley-Wood, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Every year, according to statistics, roughly the same number of people die in drowning accidents as fires. Yet drowning-prevention programs receive just a fraction of the billions of dollars dedicated to fire prevention.
There are numerous reasons for this disparity, the entrenched nature of fire departments among them.
But there's another, even more basic, reason that the entire industry must address: Drowning deaths are grossly underestimated in this country.
The Centers for Disease Control reports that approximately 4,000 individuals drown in the United States each year. The CDC also says that over a 10-year period, the annual drowning rate ...