As the hot weather increased this spring, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission kicked off its second year of warning parents about the dangers of swimming pools and spas for young children.
The commission released statistics showing that an average of 383 children younger than 15 drowned in pool and spas between 2006 and 2008, with most of the fatalities occurring in a home pool or spa. About three quarters of these deaths involved children younger than five.
Tips on reducing these dangers can be found at the commission’s website.
The pool safely campaign is part of the commission’s efforts to comply with the 2007 federal Pool and Spa Safety Act. The act imposed new safety requirements and called for a national public education campaign to increase public awareness of the problem.
