6/26/2012
As Summer Begins, Watch For Danger of Drowning
According to statistics gathered by the CDC, 3,533 fatal unintentional drowning occur each year in the United States. That means that every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, an average of two each day are children under the age of 14. Though kids and swimming pools go hand in hand over the long, hot Alabama summer, parents should be on alert whenever their young children are around water. Though adults can drown too, young children are at a special risk of accidental drowning. Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male. Children between the ages of 1 and 4 have the highest rate of drowning and among young children, most drowning occurs in home swimming pools.
A recent study found a major flaw in the Food and Drug Administration's process that approves medical devices. At least four dangerously defective medical devices were expedited through FDA's approval process with minimal testing. The four devices are the DePuy ASR hip implant, transvaginal mesh, heart rings, and defibrillator lead wires. Each of these devices has caused severe injuries and sometimes death. All of these devices were used in patients without any significant testing of their safety.
According to a recent report by USA Today, manufacturers and regulators are concerned that the increase in the number of product recalls is causing consumers to ignore them, likely to their detriment. Just last year, there were 2,363 product recalls in consumer products, medical devices, drugs, and food. That amounts to an increase of 14% from 2010.
The increase is a good thing. It means that testing and oversight have improved and that the use of social media is allowing the word about defective products to reach the consumer in a timely manner. However, one of the unintended consequences of the increased awareness about product recalls is that consumers are now getting tired of hearing about them and may begin to ignore these important messages. 
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