Water
True or False?
Just because the water isn't deep, it can still be dangerous.
TRUE.
The Red Cross reports drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of accidental death for children under 14. Absence of adult supervision is a factor in most child drownings, including those in shallow water. It takes only seconds for a child to submerge, and in depths of even a couple feet in the ocean or in rivers, strong currents can drag kids (and adults) into open water.
True or False?
112 is the European Emergency Call Number.
112 is the emergency number in all 28 EU member states, as well as other European countries and elsewhere. People in danger can call 112 24/7 to reach the fire brigade, medical assistance and the police. The European emergency number is free and can be reached by landlines as well as mobiles.
True or False? Only people with light skin need to wear sun cream. If my skin is olive or darker, I don't need to use any SPF sun creams.
FALSE. Damaging UV rays can penetrate all types of skin, regardless of your ethnicity, so even people with dark skin need sunscreen.
True or False? I can leave my pet in the car in the summer, as long as it is for less than 15 minutes and the windows are cracked open.
FALSE. Vet Dr. Mader says, “A dog can go into heat stress in a matter of minutes. On a 75 degree day (24*C), the inside of a car can reach 100 degrees (38*C) in 10 minutes. On a 100 degree (38*C) day, [it can reach] 140 degrees (60*C) in as little as 15 minutes. It can take less than 15 minutes for permanent brain damage to occur, and death shortly afterwards.”
True or False? If a person is in trouble in the water, they will splash and yell for help so it's easy to spot them.
FALSE. Drowning happens quickly and quietly — not with a lot of splashing, says Emily Samuel, water safety program manager for Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to eliminating preventable childhood injuries.
True or False? Ticks can be picked off the skin with long nails just as effectively as with tweezers or tick removing tools.
FALSE. Chances are, if you have been playing in tall grass or out and about in nature, you have seen ticks at some point. Ticks grab onto the skin and do not want to let go, so if they are not removed carefully, parts can be left behind!
True or False? You are protected from sunburn as long as you apply some sun cream one time when you get outdoors.
FALSE. For kids 6 months and older (as well as adults), sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater reduces the intensity of UVRs that cause sunburns. Apply liberally 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure so it can absorb into the skin and decrease the likelihood that it will be washed off. Reapply every two hours and after kids swim, sweat or dry off with a towel. For most users, proper application and reapplication are more important factors than using a product with a higher SPF.
True or False?
Dog fleas don't live on humans.
TRUE. They can accidentally end up on a human. They can even take a bite and suck some blood, but they don't live on humans.
True or False?
If someone is drowning, jump in to save them.
FALSE.
A huge mistake many of us could make is trying to be the hero. Our first instinct may be to jump into the pool, swim to the drowning victim, and try to carry their weight on our own. However, the true hero is resourceful and wise to help the person in need without putting themselves in danger.
True or False.
Smelly feet can attract mosquitoes.
TRUE.
From perfume, to the colour of your shirt, right down to the smelliness of your feet, mosquitoes seem to find any reason to sink themselves into human skin.
Scientists say that stinky feet and socks can be added to the list of factors that attract mosquitoes to feed off human blood. One African scientist is now using that bit of research to help fight malaria in Tanzania by creating traps that give off chemically replicated smelly foot odors, hoping to lure the bloodsuckers that carry the disease to their hosts.
True or False? You can still get sunburned if you sit in the shade.
TRUE. You can still get a sunburn in the shade, because light is scattered and reflected. A fair-skinned person sitting under a tree can burn in less than an hour.
True or False?
Pets need to be supervised around water (swimming pools, the sea, lakes etc).TRUE.
Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool—not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals.
True or False? At water parks, I can slide down the water slides cross legged or backwards.
FALSE. On most water slides, you should go down face up, arms crossed behind your head, and feet first with your ankles crossed.
True or False?
You can get stung by a dead bee.
TRUE.
Most bees or wasps only sting when provoked or threatened. Wasps and bees have venom sacs at the ends of their bodies, with a stinger that injects the venom into the victim. However, they can sting you even after they die.
Tips: Don't walk around barefoot in grass.
If you see a dead wasp or bee, do not pick it up: You can still get stung.
True or False? Sunburns are a way of building a healthy tan.
FALSE. Getting sunburn just once every 2 years can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer. Sunburn is not healthy in any way.
True or False? I need to have water with me for my pet when we travel/go out in the heat, even if it's a short walk.
TRUE. Dehydration in dogs and cats is a real possibility during the summer. Our dogs get much thirstier than we do when they get hot. Signs of dehydration include dry gums and excessive drooling. Make sure your pet always has access to fresh, clean water inside the house and bring a bottle for your furry companion when going outside, just like you do for yourself.
True or False? If you are swimming in the ocean and the current gets too strong, you should swim parallel to it, not against it.
TRUE. Currents can change quickly! If you get caught in a strong current, don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you have passed through it. Near piers, jetties (lines of big rocks), small dams, and docks, the current gets unpredictable and could knock you around. If you find it hard to move around, head to shore. Learn to recognize and watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents — water that is a weird color, really choppy, foamy, or filled with pieces of stuff.
True or False?
We should be drinking 3L of water throughout the day.
FALSE.
You are constantly losing water from your body, primarily via urine and sweat. To prevent dehydration, you need to drink adequate amounts of water.
There are many different opinions on how much water you should be drinking every day.
Health authorities commonly recommend eight cups, which equals about 2 liters.
True or False?
Your eyes can get sunburned.
TRUE. Long hours in the sun expose unprotected eyes to dangerous UVA and UVB rays and can actually cause sunburned eyes. If you've spent several hours in the sun and your eyes are watering, itchy, sensitive to light, or dry and gritty, it's likely you have sunburned eyes. Sunburned eyes aren't just irritating. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and near-UV light can contribute to cataracts and macular degeneration.
True or False? I can put my sun cream on my dog to protect him/her from getting sunburn.
FALSE. The thick, white cream that lifeguards slather on their noses contains zinc oxide, a common ingredient in diaper-rash ointments. Zinc oxide is effective as a sunscreen for humans, but it's toxic for dogs. If ingested, it can damage your dog’s delicate red blood cells, causing them to explode. The resulting anemia can be severe and require a blood transfusion. Bottom line: Never use sunscreens that contain zinc oxide on your dog.