Summer is a time for having carefree fun.

Basking in the sun with a good book, taking a cool, refreshing dip in the water, and letting off some energy with summertime sports all help us take the edge off of the sweltering Mississippi heat and make us feel relaxed, sometimes even blissful.

But all too often, it is during the most carefree moments that tragedy strikes. In just a few seconds, a day of fun activities can lead to injury, illness, or death.

In 2005, there were more than 3,500 accidental drowning deaths in the United States - an average of ten deaths per day - and an additional 710 boating related deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Children are especially at risk - more than one in four drowning victims are children under the age of 15. For each child who dies from drowning, four are sent to emergency rooms for non-fatal drownings, which can cause permanent brain damage.

The statistics are even worse for smaller children. Of all the children between the ages of one and four who died in the U.S. in 2005, almost 30 percent lost their lives from accidental drowning.

Drowning deaths are also more prevalent among men, who are four times more likely to die from drowning than women; American Indians and Alaskan Natives, who are 1.8 times more likely to drown than whites;



and African Americans, who have a 1.4 percent higher drowning rate than whites, according to 2005 CDC data.

But these types of tragedies can be prevented. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, supervision is key. In a report issued this June, the health department gave the following water safety tips:



In all types of water:

- Never swim alone. Always bring a buddy along.

- Watch them like a hawk. Children swimming or playing near water should be constantly watched by an adult. Do not read, play cards, text or talk on the phone, or engage in any other distracting activity while supervising children near water.

- Avoid drinking alcohol while supervising children around water and before or during swimming, boating, or other water-realted activities.

- Learn to swim. Enroll yourself and your children in swimming lessons.

- Learn CPR. It could mean the difference between life and death for a drowning victim.

- Do not use air-filled or foam water toys such as "water wings" or "noodles" in place of life jackets.



At the pool:

- Install a fence around pools. Make sure the fence and gate latch are high enough to keep children out.

- Remove toys from the pool immediately after use - toys may encourage children to enter the pool on their own to retrieve them.



At the river, lake, or beach:

- Check out the weather conditions before swimming or boating. Do not swim or boat if strong winds, thunderstorms, or lightning strikes are forecast.

- Use U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets while boating, no matter what the situation or how well you can swim.

- Always heed colored beach warning flags. It could save your life.

- Watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents, such as discolored or unusually choppy water, or water that is foamy or filled with debris.

- Learn what to do if you are caught in a rip current. Swim parallel to the shore. Once you are out of the current, swim toward the shore.



With all the dangers that come with water, it is often sought out in hopes of gaining relief from another summertime danger - extreme heat and sun. In the short term, extreme heat and sun exposure can cause heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration, and sunburns. In the long term, too much sun exposure can cause skin cancer and other types of skin damage.

According to the Mississippi Department of Health, UV rays can cause skin damage in as little as 15 minutes - but it can take up to 12 hours for signs of sun overexposure to show. Serious sunburns in childhood, along with being extremely painful, can increase the risk of developing malignant melanoma later in life.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can cause illness or death, especially for the elderly, children, people who are active in the extreme heat, and people with certain medical conditions, including heart disease.

The department of health provided a few tips to help summer fun-seekers protect themselves from the dangers of heat and sun exposure.



- Seek shade, especially during midday with temperatures are highest and UV rays are strongest.

- Cover up with loose-fitting long-sleeved clothing to protect exposed skin.

- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Drink two to four cool beverages per hour.

Avoid drinking lots of alcoholic or sugary beverages, which can actually exacerbate dehydration, according to the CDC.

- Relax and avoid strenuous activity

- Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.

- Stay safe all of the time. Remember that UV rays can do damage on cloudy and hazy days as well as bright, sunny days.

- Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB protection. Apply copiously at least 30 minutes before going outside.

- Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays to keep the summer sun from damaging your eyes.



So this summer, before you head for the pool, strap on the water skis, or spread out the picnic blanket, remember to put safety first and enjoy an accident-free summertime.





Learn More:

To learn more about staying safe in the summertime, including instructions on how to help a victim of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, visit the U.S. Centers for Disesase Control on the Web at www.cdc.gov and the Mississippi Department of Health at www.msdh.state.ms.us.



Tips for a safer summer

(Source: Mississippi Department of Health):



The water, sun, and heat of the summer can be dangerous, but they aren't the only things you need to protect yourself from in the summertime. Here are a few tips from the Mississippi Department of Health for avoiding West Nile Virus and food-borne illness this summer.



1. Bug Off! When outside, protect yourself from mosquitoes by using an insect repellant that contains DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

2. Tip and Toss! Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Stop the next generation of mosquitoes by tipping out water from bird feeders and fountains and tossing out any open containers you don't need.

3. Flame On! If you're planning on grilling out this summer, be sure to cook the food at a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria that cause food-borne illness - 145 degrees for roast, pork, and fish, 155 degrees for ground beef, and 165 degrees for poultry.

4. Wash Up! When cooking outside, fight the spread of bacteria by washing your hands, cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with hot, soapy water before cooking.

5. Grill and Chill It! Remember to refrigerate all left-over food promptly after grilling out.