The Lifesaving Society designates the third week in July
(July 18-24, 2021) 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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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 - #ndpw2021
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Main Messages to Emphasize
The main messages below were selected because of the major risk
factors presented in the Maritime Drowning Report - 2020
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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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.