California residents leads the nation in hot tub ownership. Knowing that, it is therefore no surprise that statistically Californian’s are also three times more likely to drown in a hot tub than residents of any other state.
Despite California being the leading owners of hot tubs a study prepared by Scripps Howard News service reviewed the mortality records from the years of 1999 to 2003 and found that states such as Wyoming and New Mexico had an unusually high reporting of death due to drownings. In most of these hot tub fatalities, alcohol was involved.
While swimming pool drownings most often involve youths, hot tub drownings deaths are almost always among adult people between the ages of 5 and 64. Why are fatalities in hot tubs almost always associated with able-bodied adults?
Many believe that the reason for drownings in hot tubs is due to the consumption of alcohol.
Other believe that the heat accompanied by the use of alcohol leads to a drop in blood pressure causing some to pass out in the water (basically faint) resulting in death.
In some cases, the alcohol and heat combined lead to drowsiness which may be accountable for some of the deaths.
Additionally, both heat and alcohol cause the dilation of blood vessels. This can result in severe health issues such as a stroke or a heart attack.
The combination of hot tubs and alcohol can lead to sweating. Of course, sweating leads to dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, light headedness and nausea. A person suffering these symptoms may pass out and drown.
To learn more about California law relating to swimming pools and spas, one should consult the Virgina Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
To avoid potential drownings it would be wise to use the hot tub with someone else. Besides adding a safety element, it would make the experience much more enjoyable. Children should never be allowed to use a hot tub alone.
If a loved one has drowned while a guest in someone’s hot tub, please call us to discuss this wrongful death claim. As a Sacramento Swimming Pool Lawyer, I have experience in handling these matters. I understand this matter may be difficult to talk about so I encourage you to contact us in the way that works best for you – in telephone, via my website or you can email me directly at [email protected]. I would be happy to provide a free initial consultation and case evaluation.
Since you will be working with a personal injury lawyer for several months, maybe even years, I encourage you to learn more about the lawyer and the legal team he employs. You can learn more about my office through Yelp or Avvo.
Photo Attribution: Mallin via http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spa_jardin.jpg