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-- - - J• J 11ILLVI rage 1 of 5 Cl) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC 2417: Smog Uves. Prorecting People. Soving Monoy through Preventxm. .. ...I................... ........ ......1.11.....1.............._ - ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . Unintentional Drowning: Fact Sheet Overview Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading'cause of unintentional injury death•for people of all ages,. and the second leading cause of death for children ages rto 14 years. How big is the problem? • In 2007, there were 3,443 fatal unintentional drownings (non - boating related) in the United States, averaging ten deaths per day. An additional 496 people died from drowning in boating- related incidents.1,2 • More than one in.five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger., For every child who dies,froin drowning, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries., • More than 55% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for higher levels of care (compared to a hospitalization rate of 3 -5% for all unintentional injuries).i These injuries can be severe. • Nonfatal drownings can cause brain damage that may result in Ion term disabilities including memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning (e.g., permanent vegetative state). Who is most at risk? Males: Nearly 8o% of people who die from drowning are male., Children: Children ages i to 4 have the highest drowning rates. In 2007, among children I to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury, almost 30% died from drowning.i Fatal drowning remains the second - leading cause of unintentional injury- related death for children ages i to 14 years.3 Minorities: ° Between 2000 and 2007, the fatal unintentional drowning rate for African Americans across all ages was 1.3 times that of whites. For American Indians and Alaskan Natives, this rate was 1.7 times that of whites., ° Rates of fatal drowning are notably higher among these p 5 o 1 4 Is 3.i times opulations in certain age groups. The fatal drowning rate of African American children ages t that of white.children in the same age,range..For American Indian.and Alaskan `Native children, the fatal drowning rate is 2:g times higher than for' white children., ° Factors such as the physical environment (e.g., access to swimming pools) and a combination of social and cultural issues (e.g., wanting to learn how to swim, and choosing recreational water - related activities) may contribute to the racial differences in drowning rates. Current rates are based on population, and not on participation. If rates could be determined by actual participation in water - related activities, disparity in minorities drowning rates compared to whites would be much greater.4 What factors influence drowning risk? Sam http:// www. cdc .govihomeandrecreationalsafety /water- safetylwatel injuries- factsheet.htrnl 10/19/2011