WELCOME! Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Overview Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent unintentional childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under. More than 450 coalitions in 16 countries bring together health and safety experts and educators to protect families. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Member Countries AustriaCanada Germany Japan Philippines New ZealandSouth Africa Uganda United Arab Emirates United States Vietnam Australia BrazilChina Korea Israel Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Grassroots Strength More than 600 SAFE KIDS coalitions and chapters in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Washington State Coalitions One State Coalition, 11 National Coalitions, 4 State Chapters Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Injury Types There are also two types of injury. –Unintentional: resulting from an accident –Intentional: resulting from assault, abuse, or suicide Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Injury Mechanisms Injuries are caused by two different mechanisms. –Exposure to energy: either through a direct energy source, like heat or electricity, or through the energy created by a crash or a fall –Absence of essentials for life: such as heat or oxygen, as in the case of drowning Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Preventing Unintentional Childhood Injury In the US, unintentional injury is the number one cause of death among children ages 14 and under. More children die from unintentional injury than from cancer, heart disease, and birth defects. 1 out of every 5 US children will need medical attention for an unintentional injury this year. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Source: CDC/NCHS/NVSS, 1998 Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Source: CDC/NCHS/NVSS, 1998 More than 60% of unintentional injury deaths result from motor vehicle injuries, drowning and pedestrian injuries. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Leading Causes of Unintentional Injuries Resulting in HOSPITAL VISITS by Children 14 and under Falls “Struck by and against” Overexertion Injuries where a child is cut or pierced Bites or stings Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Safe Kids Risk Areas Motor vehicle occupant injury Drowning, including near-drowning Pedestrian injury Airway obstruction injury (suffocation, strangulation and choking) Fires and burns Bicycle-related injuries Unintentional firearm injuries Falls Poisoning Sports and recreation-related injury Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Why Are Children Injured Their bodies are smaller and more fragile Their state of cognitive development Their motor coordination and reflexes Their limited life experience Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Which Children are at Risk? Males, who are injured more often than females Native American and African-American children, who generally have the highest death rates from unintentional injury (Asian-Americans have the lowest) Children from economically disadvantaged families Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Age as a Factor Under age 1 = airway obstruction is the leading cause of unintentional injury- related death 1 – 4 = drowning 5 – 14 = motor vehicle occupant injuries Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Factors that influence injury occurrence Host – the characteristics of the person who is injured (e.g. the child) Agent – the means by which the injury takes place (e.g. the plastic bag that denies oxygen to the child) Environment – the setting within which the injury occurs (e.g. the presence of an open and unbarred window through which a child can fall) Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Injury Control Prevention Acute Care Rehabilitation Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Prevention This problem does have a solution, it is PREVENTION. Injuries are NOT random. They occur in predictable patterns, many of which are based on the child’s age, sex, the time of day, and season of year. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Make it a Safe Kids summer! Summer is the most dangerous time of year for kids. Children will be rushed to emergency rooms nearly 3 million times this summer. Don’t let your child be one of them! “Trauma Season” = May to Aug Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Summer Focuses Ride Safe Swim Safe Wheel Safe Walk Safe Play Safe Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Ride Safe I make sure that all my kids have their own child safety seat or safety belt that’s appropriate for their age and size, and that they sit in a back seat. I study both my vehicle owner and car seat manuals carefully. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Swim Safe I always supervise young children near water, including pools, spas, toilets, bathtubs and buckets. We wear personal floatation devices when out on boats, near open bodies of water or participating in water sports. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Water Safety Checklist Never leave children alone near water Tell children never to run, push, or jump on others around water Learn infant and child CPR Children should always wear US Coast Guard approved life jackets Inflatable inner tubes and “water wings” are not safety devices Keep toilet lids down Keep doors to bathrooms and laundry rooms closed Children in baby bath seats and rings must be within arm’s reach every second Teach children to swim after age 4 Make sure children swim within designated swimming areas of rivers, lakes, and oceans Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Wheel Safe My kids wear properly fitting helmets and other protective gear every time they ride their bikes, scooters, in-line skates or skateboards. My children know the rules of the road and obey all traffic laws. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Walk Safe I never let children under age 10 cross the street alone. My kids wear reflective materials and carry a flashlight when it’s dark, at dawn and at dusk. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Play Safe I supervise my children at playgrounds and make sure there is a safe surface such as mulch, gravel, rubber or fine sand. My kids always wear the right, properly fitted protective gear when they practice and play team sports. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

The Solution A Comprehensive Approach to Injury Prevention Education— We increase knowledge and change behavior with consumer communications, media campaigns, retail promotions and community-based activities. Empowerment— We empower parents and communities to take responsibility for their children’s safety by fueling a national grassroots network. Environment— We increase the quality of children’s lives by enhancing design, development and distribution of safety products, and by improving the environment where children live and play. Enactment— We work to pass, strengthen and enforce laws, and encourage the development of voluntary safety standards and guidelines to protect children. Evaluation— We determine the most effective behavior-changing strategies and programs through research, data collection and surveillance. Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Making a Difference! Decline in the Child Injury Death Rate Since the Safe Kids Campaign Launch in 1987 Nearly 40% Source: CDC/NCHS/NVSS, 1999 *Note: Injury Coding Changes Occurred between 1998 and 1999 Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Injury is the leading cause of medical spending for children ages Annual lifetime cost of child injury is nearly $157 billion, which includes $5 billion in direct medical costs, $3.3 billion in future earnings lost and $148 billion in lost quality of life. Economic Impact Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Every $1 spent on a child safety seat saves $32 in direct medical costs and other costs to society Every $1 spent on a bicycle helmet saves $30 in direct medical costs and other costs to society Every $1 spent on a smoke alarm saves $69 in fire-related costs Economic Impact (cont.) Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

United States Fire Administration U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Partnerships with Federal Agencies Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

Corporate Sponsors Okanogan County SAFE KIDS

THANK YOU ! Okanogan County SAFE KIDS