NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is stepping up water safety education efforts ahead of the unofficial start of summer and Jersey Shore vacations. On Thursday, the state Assembly overwhelmingly approved three bills aimed at promoting safety around water, championed by Assemblyman Sean Kean.
Kean, who represents parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties in the 30th Legislative District, said the legislation — A4753, A4762, and A4763 — is particularly crucial for a state known for its 130 miles of coastline and more than 400 publicly accessible lakes and ponds.
“New Jersey is quite fortunate to have unparalleled beaches and bodies of water for swimming and recreation, which is all the more reason to sound the alarm on the importance of water safety,” Kean said. “These bills champion awareness, education and drowning prevention. They help equip parents, children and all New Jerseyans with the knowledge they need whenever one has access to any kind of water.”
The first bill, A4753, would require hospitals and birthing centers to show parents and other adult family members present at a baby’s birth a video covering the risks of children drowning, the importance of swimming lessons and CPR, the use of age-appropriate flotation devices, and related safety information.
If enacted, New Jersey would become the second state after New York to mandate postpartum water safety education.
“Drowning doesn’t look like it does in the movies. It can happen quickly and quietly and even when parents are present. Whenever there is access to water, there is a risk of injury. Thankfully, it is a preventable tragedy,” Kean said.
Accidental drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 5 to 14. For every child who drowns, another eight receive emergency room treatment for nonfatal water-related injuries.
Acknowledging that most drownings occur between May and August, the second bill, A4762, designates May as “Water Safety Month” in New Jersey. It also calls on the state’s Education and Health departments to provide resources to school districts so they can hold presentations and educational activities during the month for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
“Getting water safety information into the schools, including the importance of learning to swim, has been an unending goal of mine,” Kean said.
The final bill, A4763, requires the education commissioner to collaborate with a water safety organization to create a fact sheet for distribution in both public and private schools. School districts would also be required to publish lists of local swimming lessons and age-appropriate water safety courses on their websites.
“In a perfect world, every child would have access to swimming lessons, but stressing water safety in schools and helping connect parents to local programs means New Jersey is making real strides in protecting its children from accidental drownings,” Kean said.
