HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM?
· In 2005, there were 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States, averaging ten deaths per day. An additional 710 people died, from drowning and other causes, in boating-related incidents.1, 2 · More than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger.1 For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.1 · Nonfatal drownings can cause brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities including memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning (i.e., permanent vegetative state).
In North Carolina, an average of two infants are killed or left unprotected to die every year. (With few exceptions, the people responsible are later identified.) It’s sad to think that a woman could kill her baby or abandon it unsafely, but pretending it doesn’t happen is irresponsible. So far, 45 states across the country have passed Safe Haven or Safe Surrender laws in an attempt to save lives.
According to several sources, including reusablebags.com [exit DNR], U.S. shoppers use an estimated 100 billion plastic bags every year and recycle only a small percentage of them, though market demand for the recycled bags is growing. Many of the bags are reused by consumers as trash liners or pet waste bags, but a large number also end up in landfills or causing harm in the environment without first being reused.
