The Risk Starts on Dry Land: What Substance Use Has to Do With Water Safety

When people think about drowning prevention, they usually picture life jackets, swimming lessons, and warning signs at the water's edge. Those things matter - a lot. But there's a piece of the prevention picture that doesn't get talked about nearly enough, and it starts long before anyone steps near the water.
According to King County Public Health, between 60 and 70 percent of drowning deaths in King County involved drugs or alcohol. Let that land for a moment. In the majority of cases, the critical decision point wasn't at the shoreline - it was on dry land, hours earlier, when someone made a choice about what to consume before heading to the lake.
This is where Influence the Choice's work and LakeSafe Initiative's work meet. And it's why we're proud to be partners.

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