Amend the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act

• In 2014, In Florida, 50 children under the age of 15 drowned in a pool or spa.

• The majority of accidental drowning and near drowning occurs in residential swimming pools and in open water sites.

• Toddlers in Volusia County are drowning at a rate higher than the state and national averages. Researchers found that 24 toddlers have drowned in Volusia from 2003-2014, and 92 percent of those drowning incidents happened in swimming pools.

The Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (chapter 515) for the state of Florida states that only residential pools built after Oct. 1st, 2000 must have a safety mechanism in place. That leaves 90% of the residential pools in Florida without necessary safety means. Most children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning.

Many people claim they can’t purchase a pool safety barrier due to money issues. Pool alarms and door locks can cost as little as $50!

Would you be more prone to buying a barrier if there was a tax initiative on these products?

Could you put a price on a child’s life?