H.RES.658
HRES 658 IH
Whereas International Water Safety Day is celebrated to bring awareness to the ongoing drowning epidemic and educate people in becoming safer in and around the water;
Whereas fatal unintentional drowning is the second leading cause of death for children 1 to 14 years of age;
Whereas fatal unintentional drowning is the sixth leading cause of death for people of all ages;
Whereas an estimated 388,000 people died from drowning, making drowning a major public health problem worldwide and accounting for nearly 10 percent of total global mortality;
Whereas drowning deaths are an epidemic;
Whereas drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths;
Whereas water safety education and water safety awareness can help curve the number of drowning fatalities;
Whereas research shows that formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children aged 1 to 4 years old;
Whereas courses such as CPR have shown to improve outcomes for drowning victims since interventions occur more quickly;
Whereas water safety is a life skill that can be taught; and
Whereas water safety education should be included in primary and secondary school education: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
- That the House of Representatives–
- (1) supports the goals and ideals of International Water Safety Day;
- (2) acknowledges that water safety education should be included in primary and secondary school education;
- (3) acknowledges the importance of water safety and that every person should engage in water safety education; and
- (4) acknowledges that every person should learn to swim.
END
