The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Northern Health Region It's wonderful summertime in the North. We all wait so patiently from October to May for our well deserved summertime fun. Cabins, holidays, lakes, camping, boating, swimming, diving, sunshine _ oh yeah, and the mosquitoes. Summertime is supposed to be a time of fun for both children and adults but if we are not careful that summertime fun can quickly turn into injuries, pain, and sometimes even death. Our children love to play in and around the water of our beautiful lakes during the summer months. But did you know that drowning is the second leading cause of injury death among Canadian children? It's estimated that 34 children will drown in Canada between the May long weekend and the Labour Day weekend in September. However, drowning is preventable and it is up to each of us to prevent it. Here are some important things to remember. Among children younger than 15, those aged one to four are the most at risk in or near water. Children under five are attracted to water but they lack a sense of danger. Children from five to 14 are still at risk of drowning because they overestimate their swimming skills, and underestimate the depth of the water. So what can parents and caregivers do to prevent our children from drowning? Supervise, supervise and supervise your children when they are in or around water. The rule to remember is within arm's reach when they are in the water. If you are not in the water with them make sure they are wearing life jackets. Most parents believe they only need to supervise when the water is deep but we know that a child can drown in a few centimeters of water. Toddlers and young children often can't regain their balance after stumbling in water, and water depths can vary suddenly along our lakes' natural shorelines. Actually four out of five young children who drown do not intend even to be in the water. They are just playing on the shore. We know that drowning is a quick and silent killer and listening for sounds of distress is just not good enough _ you have to be watching them. If you decide to go for a boat ride please, please, please wear a life jacket and make sure your kids do as well. Believe it or not, 80 per cent of people who drown while boating are not wearing a life jacket! We know that life jackets prevent people from drowning and all we have to do is wear them when boating. Again, we know that drowning is preventable and it is up to each of us to prevent it. Don't forget about the sun. Now, after a day of boating on one of our beautiful northern lakes who has not experienced sunburn and the pain that goes with it? See 'Prevent' on pg. Continued from pg. Sunburns and the accompanying pain can be prevented with a little preparation before we go outside. We need to put on the sunscreen with a sun protection factor or SPF of 30 or higher that gives protection from both UVA and UVB rays 20 minutes before going out. Remember to re-apply it every two hours or after swimming. If we slip on a long sleeve shirt, slap on sunglasses and a floppy hat with a wide brim, and slop on some sunscreen _ no more sunburns, no pain, and no more damage to our skin. Remember if you need both sunscreen and insect repellent, put the sunscreen on first, wait 30 minutes, and then apply the insect repellent before you go outside. Don't forget to protect your eyes all summer long. Sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement: wearing a good pair of shades is one of the most important things you can do for your eyes. UV rays can damage eyes that aren't protected, putting you at risk for eye disease later in life. You don't need expensive shades. Look for a label or tag indicating the level of UV protection. So now go outside, play in the water, go boating, have fun camping, and enjoy our beaches and northern lakes during the summer months but always remember to keep yourself and others safe while doing so. Together we can have an injury-free summer. Fran Labarre has both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Recreation Studies degree and is a Regional Community Health Developer for the Northern Health Region in Flin Flon. She can be reached at (204) 687-1355 or by email at [email protected].
