The European Child Safety Alliance launched a European-wide water safety and drowning prevention campaign “Be water wise in the summer of 2003. The campaign has a participation of 16 countries across Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany¦) Together, they believe they can communicate a clear and consistent message to reduce the 2nd leading cause of injury deaths to children: drowning.

The European Child Safety Alliance launched a European-wide water safety and drowning prevention campaign “Be water wise in the summer of 2003. The campaign has a participation of 16 countries across Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany¦) Together, they believe they can communicate a clear and consistent message to reduce the 2nd leading cause of injury deaths to children: drowning.

While the national campaigns are underway the Alliance is also working on promoting the campaign on a European level. In May 2003 a press release was sent out to the European Union press and Health Interest and several articles were published in the written media.

All European lifesaving organisations have been approached to promote the campaign. Besides that, 95% of all drowning materials have been distributed, to member state and currently through their Alliance child safety partners. The campaign resources include a toolkit with a standard design, researched facts and proven prevention measures in the form of a poster, a series of small advertisement, a drowning fact sheet, a parent and caregiver brochure, a vacation planning checklist. Toolkits were distributed to 20 countries where Alliance members used the resources in various ways to support national activities.

Source: ILSE education commission minutes, 2004.