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