1
Sample Student
Speech 1113
25 July 2012
The Need for Swimming Pool Safety
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to have better swimming pool safety.
Central Idea: There are too many children who suffer or die from drowning accidents each year, which is why I propose that the state of Oklahoma make swimming pool owners be certified in
CPR and first aid, have non-climbable fences with self-latching, self-closing gates, and those that are parents have their children be taught to swim properly.
I) While the rate of drowning deaths has dropped within the past decade, this is an issue that
the public needs to be concerned about as drowning is still a major cause of death with
swimming pools being the most common location for them to occur.
A) Between the years of 2005 to 2009 there were an estimated 765 children aged 5 to
14 who died from drowning and an estimated 4,519 of children aged 5 to 14 were
treated in hospitals for nonfatal drowning (Laosee, Gilchrist, and Rudd 344).
B) More than half of all drowning victims sent to the emergency room spend more
time in the hospital for extended care (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention). 2
C) Nonfatal drowning can cause victims to have severe brain damage which can
result in lasting memory problems, learning disabilities, and loss of basic
functioning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
II) While there is the possibility that anyone can drown, there are many people who have an
added risk of becoming victim to drowning accidents which should be taken into
account so that they can be extra cautious if they or anyone around them have risks
attached to them.
A) Children aged four and under make up the highest number of drowning deaths
and is the second most-leading cause of death behind car wrecks for children up to the age of fourteen (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention).
B) Males are four times more likely to die from drowning than females (Laosee,
Gilchrist, and Rudd 344).
C) Minorities also have a higher rate of drowning related accidents than whites with
African American children aged 5 to 14 three times more likely to drown than white children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). 3
III) There are many simple measures that the state of Oklahoma should make swimming pool
owners implement to prevent children from drowning and fine all of those who don’t
follow these rules.
A) Children at least three years old have been able to climb chain-link fences in less
than a minute so the state of Oklahoma should mandate that all swimming pool owners have non-climbable fences surrounding them that are at least four feet tall (SanSone 94).
1) Also, the state should also enforce that all swimming pools have self-
latching, self-closing gates so that children cannot get inside as easily (Rzucidlo).
2) While these may seem time consuming and costly measures, the death or
permanent damages to children are not worth debating over—a fence or gate can be easily replaced, but a child is not.
B) The state of Oklahoma also needs to enforce that swimming lessons should be
taught to young children to decrease the amount of drowning accidents.
1) Many fear that swimming lessons taught to children early on may actually
raise the rate of drowning among them (Laosee, Gilchrist, and
Rudd 346). 4
2) However, children as young as four years old in Bangladesh were taught
basic survival skills and had a drop in their drowning rates
(Laosee, Gilchrist, and Rudd 346).
C) While a child is out in a swimming pool it is crucial for the state of Oklahoma to
mandate that all adults and older teenagers be certified in cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) and first aid (Shrier). 5
Works Cited
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Unintentional Drowning: Get the Facts.” Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 May
2012. Web. 15 July 2012.
Laosee, Orapin C., Julie Gilchrist, and Rose A. Rudd. "Drowning -- United States, 2005-2009."
MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 61.19 (2012): 344-347. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 14 July 2012.
Rzucidlo, Susan “The Medical Minute: Stay Safe around the House This Summer.” Penn State
College of Medicine. Pennsylvania State University, 8 June 2012. Web. 16 July 2012.
SanSone, Arricca Elin. "Protecting Kids at the Pool." Good Housekeeping 241.1 (2005): 93-94.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 July 2012.
Shrier, Carrie. “Keep Children Safe This Summer.” MSU Extension. Michigan State University,
30 May 2012. Web. 16 July 2012.