I love swimming. During the hot summer months nothing is more refreshing than a swim. But swimming can be dangerous, as well. Most people know how to swim, and if you don’t, you can learn, but there are a few things that should not be mixed with water. Alcohol and drugs being the main ones. This goes for boating, as well. A boat is another form of a motor vehicle and should not be driven under the influence.
Whether you are spending the day at the beach or at your own pool, drinking and swimming is not a good idea. While drinking is illegal if you are under 21, I know many underage teens still do drink as it is pressured upon us by society. So, if you do drink, never do so by water, especially if there is no supervision. On top of that, if you are at the beach publicly drinking underage is not a smart idea because not only are you underage, but public intoxication is illegal, as well. And drugs are no safer. Whether it is marijuana or anything else, your reaction time is lowered with most drug and alcohol use, and it is unsafe to be in water where you can drown. Even if you are only in a few feet of water at a sandbar or something of the sort, you are still not safe. Sandbars can drop off quickly, and when you are inebriated you do not have the reaction time you usually do and cannot safely be in the water or on a boat.
Boating, whether on a lake or on the ocean, is not smart with alcohol or drugs in the mix, either. If you are driving the boat and you are under the influence you are not only endangering your own life, but those of everyone on the lake near you and everyone on the boat with you. If you a riding on a boat and you are drinking or participating in drug use, you can get hurt, as well. Your stability will not be as good, and you could easily fall off the boat.
Water safety is far more than just knowing how to swim, especially as we grow older and society pushes drinking and drug use upon us. You should always make safe choices about drinking and drugs, but even more so when water is put into the mix. When you drink, supervision should always be around to keep you from making stupid decisions, like going swimming.