Priority Area: Healthy Environment - Drowning Prevention

Prevention of Drownings

The NYSDOH is committed to preventing drownings at regulated bathing facilities. Drowning incidents are investigated and the resulting data are analyzed to improve prevention strategies. Drowning hazards can be reduced and eliminated through appropriate design of bathing facilities and proper operation and supervision by staff.

Objectives

• By 2013, reduce by 10% the incidence of drowning at regulated bathing facilities to less than the yearly average of 8 that was observed during 1987-2007.
• Monitor all local health department inspection activities at regulated children's camps and bathing facilities and provide training to local health department staff to ensure that the State Sanitary Code regulations are properly enforced.
• Investigate all incidents of drowning at regulated children's camps and bathing facilities, enter investigation findings into a recreational injury surveillance database system and implement interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality.
• Review investigative reports for all drownings to identify trends and improve prevention strategies.

Data and Statistics

Drowning Statistics for NYS

Reports

Strategies - The Evidence Base for Effective Interventions

• Evidence based and promising strategies to promote a healthy environment by reducing the risk of drowning while swimming at regulated bathing facilities are contained in the following documents:
  • Unintentional Drowning: Fact Sheet
  • Evidence based Guidelines: New York State Department of Health State Sanitary Codes
  • Subpart 6-1 (Swimming Pools)
  • Subpart 6-2 (Bathing Beaches)
  • Subpart 7-2 (Children's Camps)

Partners

• Local Health Departments
• American Red Cross
• YMCA

Resources

• Drowning Statistics for Incidents at New York State Bathing Facilities
• Taking Steps to Prevent Drownings

Health Disparities

• 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 1 to 14 years.

More Information

Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection
New York State Department of Health
547 River Street, Room 516
Troy, NY 12180
Environmental Health Information Line: 1-800-458-1158 ext. 2-7600
email: BCEHFP@health.state.ny.us