Agency Calls for Increased Water Safety Vigilance This Summer for All Families with Children and Historically Excluded Communities with Higher Drowning Risks

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As the summer swim season kicks off with the opening of pools nationwide, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its annual drowning and submersion report. Focused on deaths and injuries for children under age 15, the report shows that fatal drownings for children increased 12 percent in 2021, the most recent year for which data are available, compared to 2020. Drowning remains the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 years old, with a disproportionately higher risk for swimming-aged children in Black communities. CPSC urges families with young children and those in historically excluded communities to prioritize water safety, as they spend more time in and around pools.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9270751-cpsc-pool-safely-summer-swim-campaign/

CPSC’s report addresses nonfatal drownings for the period 2021 through 2023 and fatal drownings for the period 2019 through 2021, reflecting a lag in the reporting of fatal drowning statistics.

CPSC’s latest data show the following for children in the U.S. younger than 15 years of age:

• Between 2019 and 2021, there was an average of 358 pool- or spa-related fatal drownings reported per year and 75% of those victims were younger than 5 years of age.
• The number of fatal child drownings in 2021 was 380, a 12 percent increase from the 339 fatal drownings reported in the previous year.
• Between 2021 and 2023, there was an average of 6,500 estimated pool- or spa-related, hospital emergency department (ED)-treated, nonfatal drowning injuries each year.

Additionally, the report highlighted specific drowning hazards for children under 5 years of age:

• In 2023, 77 percent of all estimated pool- or spa-related, ED-treated, nonfatal drowning injuries involved children younger than 5 years of age.
• Between 2019 and 2021, there was an average of 269 pool- or spa-related fatal drownings for children under 5, roughly 75 percent of the total average number of fatal drownings for all children under 15.

“Children can drown quickly and silently and the increase in drownings for this age group is a sobering reminder of how prevalent these tragedies are,” said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. “Parents and caregivers should never let their guard down around water, that means installing layers of protection, like fencing, alarms, pool covers, and self-latching features to keep unsupervised kids from accessing the water.”

Where location was known, 81 percent of fatal drownings involving children under age 15 occurred in a residential setting, including at the victim’s home, or at the home of a family member, friend, or neighbor.

The report also highlights the continuing trend of racial disparities in drowning fatalities. Out of the 71 percent of drowning fatalities involving children under age 15 whose race was specified, African American children made up 23 percent of all drownings, higher than 15 percent of the population for that age.

For drowning fatalities among children aged 5 to 14, 45 percent of drowning deaths involved African Americans where race was identified. These numbers highlight the importance of reaching historically excluded communities with water safety information and support.

Parents and caregivers can follow Pool Safely’s simple steps to keep children safer in and around the water:

• Never leave a child unattended in or near water, and always designate an adult Water Watcher. This person should not be reading, texting, using a phone or being otherwise distracted. In addition to pools and spas, this warning includes bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds, and fountains.
• If you own a pool or spa, install layers of protection, including barriers to prevent an unsupervised child from accessing the water. Homes can use door alarms, pool covers, and self-closing, self-latching devices on fence gates and doors that access pools.
• Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults. Many communities offer online CPR training.
• Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings to avoid entrapments.
• Ensure any pool and spa you use has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards. If you do not know, ask your pool service provider about safer drain covers.

You can read the full CPSC drowning and entrapment reports by visiting PoolSafely.gov.

Pool Safely, a national public education campaign supporting the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, works with collaborators around the country to reduce child drownings, nonfatal drownings and entrapment incidents in swimming pools and spas. Parents, caregivers and the media are encouraged to visit: PoolSafely.gov or to follow Pool Safely on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X for vital safety information regarding the prevention of child drownings in and around pools and spas.

For more information, contact Nikki Fleming in CPSC’s Office of Communications at [email protected].

Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

For lifesaving information:
– Visit CPSC.gov.
– Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
– Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC, and X @USCPSC.
– Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
– Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
– Contact a media specialist.

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

BETHESDA, Md., June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — 

WHAT:

For military members and veterans who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adding a service dog to their usual care could reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms, feelings of anxiety, and lower depression while enhancing their quality of life and psychosocial functioning, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The trial, which is the largest nationwide study comparing service dog partnerships to usual care alone, included 156 military members and veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Participants were recruited through the database of K9s For Warriors, an accredited non-profit service dog provider. Under U.S. federal law, service dogs are “individually trained to work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”

After three months, the 81 participants who received service dogs reported significantly lower PTSD symptom severity, anxiety, and depression, as well as less social isolation and higher companionship than the 75 participants in the control group who were waitlisted for a service dog. All participants received unrestricted access to their usual care outside their participation in the study.

PTSD is characterized by symptoms of intrusion, increased arousal and reactivity, and avoidance of trauma reminders, among other symptoms, and remains difficult to treat. Those with PTSD may also have other conditions, including major depression and general anxiety disorder. An estimated 23% of military members and veterans with post-9/11 service have PTSD, and veterans are more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans.

The study was led by Marguerite E. O’Haire, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, Tucson, and colleagues, and is published in JAMA Network Open. NIH funding was provided by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and other organizations.

ARTICLE:

Leighton, S. C., Rodriguez, K. E., Jensen, C. L., MacLean, E. L., Davis, L. W., Ashbeck, E. L., Bedrick, E. J., O’Haire, M. E. Service Dogs for Veterans and Military Members with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: a nonrandomized controlled trial. JAMA Network Open.

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov.

SOURCE Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institutes of Health (NIH)

PHILADELPHIA, June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/– The following statement is being issued by Kroll Settlement Administration regarding Monica Bustos, et al. v. Riverside Medical Clinic, Case No.: CVR12203466.

The lawsuit alleges that between September 9, 2017 and December 13, 2022, that Riverside Medical Clinic (“RMC”) disclosed Settlement Class Members’ web usage data to Facebook (aka Meta) without consent via the Meta Pixel, a tool that allows Facebook to intercept communications made on RMC’s website, including the personal identifiable information and protected health information of visitors by the website.

WHO IS A CLASS MEMBER?

Anyone who is or was a Riverside Medical Center (“RMC”) patient or person, who visited the website www.riversidemedicalclinic.com from September 9, 2017 through December 13, 2022 (the “Settlement Class”).

SETTLEMENT BENEFITS AND TERMS

The Settlement establishes a $1.75 million Settlement Fund. Settlement Class Members who file a valid Claim Form may receive a pro rata Cash Compensation from the Net Settlement Fund estimated at $38.83 per Claimant. The Net Settlement Fund is the amount of funds that remain in the Settlement Fund after: Notice and Claims Administration Costs (estimated at $389,030) taxes owed, Plaintiffs’ Service Awards (up to $14,000), and any Attorneys’ Fees, Costs and Expenses Award (up to $612,500). More information is available on the Settlement Website.

RIGHTS AND OPTIONS

• Submit a Claim Form. To qualify for a cash payment, you must timely mail a Claim Form or timely complete and submit a Claim Form online at www.riversidepixelsettlement.com (“Settlement Website”). You may also print a Claim Form found on the Settlement Website and mail in your claim. Your Claim Form must be postmarked or submitted online no later than August 26, 2024.
• Opt-Out. You may exclude yourself from the Settlement and retain your ability to sue RMC on your own by submitting the Exclusion Form to the Settlement Administrator via the Settlement Website, or if mailed, postmarked no later than July 29, 2024. If you do not exclude yourself, you will be bound by the Settlement and give up your right to sue regarding the released claims.
• Object. If you do not exclude yourself, you have the right to object to the Settlement. Objection Forms must be signed and submitted via the Settlement Website, or if mailed, postmarked no later than July 29, 2024, and provide the reason for the objection.
• Do Nothing. If you do nothing, you will not receive a cash payment and will lose the right to sue regarding the Released Class Claims. You will be bound by the Court’s decision because this is a conditionally certified class action.
• Attend the Final Approval Hearing. The Court has determined only that there is sufficient evidence to suggest the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The Court will hold a Final Approval hearing at 8:30 a.m. PT on August 23, 2024 to determine if the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. All persons may appear at the hearing and may state their objections orally at that time.

Who are the attorneys for the Plaintiffs and the proposed Settlement Class? The Court appointed John J. Nelson, and Alexander Wolf as Class Counsel to represent the Settlement Class. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

Do I have any obligation to pay attorneys’ fees or expenses? No. The attorneys’ fees and expenses will be paid exclusively from the Settlement Fund as awarded and approved by the Court. The attorneys’ fees and expenses will be in an amount of up to 35% (or $612,500) of the Settlement Fund. The motion for attorneys’ fees and expenses will be posted on the Settlement Website after it is filed with the Court.

What is the amount of the Plaintiffs’ Service Awards? The named Plaintiffs will seek Service Awards in the amount of $3,500 each for their efforts in this case.

What am I giving up by remaining in the Settlement? By remaining in the Settlement, you give up the ability to sue Riverside Medical Clinic, its agents, officers, and affiliates, for claims related to the disclosure of personal information while visiting www.riversidemedicalclinic.com from September 9, 2017 through December 13, 2022.

This notice is a summary of the proposed Settlement. For additional information about the Settlement, including the Settlement Agreement and other important documents, under the Important Documents tab, visit www.riversidepixelsettlement.com, call the settlement administrator at (833) 462-9176, or contact Class Counsel at: [email protected].

You may also obtain the Settlement Agreement attached to the Declaration of John J. Nelson in support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Approval filed on March 29, 2024, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside located at 4050 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 and accessible online via www.riverside.courts.ca.gov.

SOURCE Kroll Settlement Administration