National Drowning Prevention Week

The Lifesaving Society designates the third week in July (July 21-27, 2024) as National Drowning Prevention Week (NDPW) to focus community and media attention on the drowning problem and drowning prevention.

NDPW provides a focus around which community Water Smart® educators can plan news releases, do television and radio interviews, and deliver public demonstrations and other events. Many successful community events are launched with a Mayor's Proclamation of Drowning Prevention Week.

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NDPW Logo EN 291

 

Resources

Use these resources to help your community plan for, and participate in National Drowning Prevention Week.

The themes are suggestions for how you can target your NDPW campaign. They use specific messages to address trends seen in Lifesaving Society drowning reports and the data from the Drowning Prevention Research Centre. Use the key messages on social media in combination with NDPW hastag - #ndpw2024

Main Messages to Emphasize

The main messages below were selected because of the major risk factors presented in the Maritime Drowning Report - 2023 Edition.

  • If you're not within arms' reach, you've gone too far. Always supervise children.
  • Boat sober. Alcohol consumption is a factor in almost 40% of boating-related fatalities.
  • Choose It. Use It. Always wear a Lifejacket or PFD.
  • Lifejackets don't work if you don't wear them. Not wearing a Lifejacket or PFD was a factor in 85% of boating deaths.
  • Over 400 Canadians die in preventable water-related incidents annually. Even one drowning is one too many.

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2023 Drowning Report 291

 

Learn to Swim

Basic swimming ability is a fundamental requirement in any meaningful attempt to eliminate drowning in Canada. The Lifesaving Society offers training programs from learn-to-swim through advanced lifesaving, lifeguarding and leadership.

Our Swim for Life program stresses lots of in-water practice to develop solid swimming strokes and skills. We incorporate valuable Water Smart® education that will last a lifetime.

Swim to Survive is a Lifesaving Society survival training program. Swim to Survive is not a subsititute for swimming lessons; instead, it defines the minimum skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. People of all ages should be able to perform the Society's Swim to Survive standard.