Drowning Prevention
CDC’s Injury Center Uses Data and Research to Save Lives
Our Mission
CDC is uniquely positioned to lead data-driven
drowning prevention strategies, focusing on
groups at increased risk of drowning.
Some groups have a higher risk of drowning
Limited access to basic swimming and water safety training may contribute to disparities.
- For people younger than age 30, drowning rates among
Black people were 1.5x higher and among American Indian and Alaska Native people were 2x higher than White people - Drowning is a leading cause of death among children 1-4 years of age
- Deaths among persons with autism spectrum disorder were nearly 40x as likely to be caused by drowning as deaths in the general population (Injury mortality in individuals with autism, AJPH)
CDC Works with Partners to
• Collect drowning data to understand risk and protective factors
Implement and evaluate drowning prevention strategies
Pilot and evaluate water safety programs with organizations like the American Red Cross and YMCA
Support the U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan
to reduce drowning
Support the CDC Healthy and Safe Swimming
Program and the Model
Aquatic Health Code
CDC Addresses
Disparities by
- Analyzing data, tracking trends, and identifying groups at higher risk
- Understanding the factors that drive disparities in drowning risk
→ Evaluating programs that teach children who are at increased risk of drowning basic swimming and water.
Each Year
4,000 people
die from drowning
in the United States
Drowning injuries can also
cause brain damage and other
serious outcomes, including
long-term disability.
Drowning
is preventable
Together, we can
implement solutions.
Injuries and deaths from drowning
cost the United States
$53B in 2020.
Download At-a-Glance [PDF – 1 page]
JUNE 2024
Original Article – https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/about/index.html
