In 1992, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports of 6,000 crashes involving recreational boats that resulted in 3,700 injuries and 816 deaths. Black children ages 5 through 19 years drowned at 2.5 times the rate of whites. 1 Black children ages 1 through 4 years had a lower drowning rate than white children, largely because drownings in that age group typically occur in residential swimming pools, which are not as accessible to minority children in the United States.
Most children drown in swimming pools.
Mandate and enforce legal limits for blood alcohol levels during water recreation activities. Provide public service announcements about the danger of combining alcohol with water recreation. Eliminate advertisements that encourage alcohol use during boating. Restrict the sale of alcohol at water recreation facilities. Whenever young children are swimming, playing, or bathing in water, make sure an adult is constantly watching them.