Why We Should Start Talking About Public Pool Closures

Boulder is one of many cities across the US experiencing a lifeguard shortage. While this may seem minor to those with access to private pools, for low-income families and families of color, it means more children and adults will never learn to swim. 

Across the US, Sixty-four percent of African-American, 45 percent of Hispanic/Latino, and 40 percent of Caucasian children have few to no swimming skills. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4.

KGNU’s Alexis Kenyon spoke with Dr. Linda Quan, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and professor of pediatrics at University of Washington’s School of Medicine, about pool closures and the impact it’s having on millions of families. 

Listen Here:

[Download Here]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download