Health
6 water safety tips amid boating deaths, with alcohol a leading factor in tragedy
Hundreds of lives are lost each year on U.S. waterways due to recreational boating accidents that can be prevented, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Last summer, 564 deaths and 2,126 non-fatal injuries from boating accidents were reported, according to a May press release from the U.S. Coast Guard — with the highest number of deaths occurring in the summer months of July and August.
Alcohol was noted as the leading factor in those deaths, contributing to 17% of total fatalities.
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Intoxication also played a role in 13% of all non-fatal boating injuries and property damage, which totaled $63 million in 2023.
“That’s why I never go on a boat on a weekend in the summer,” Mike from Long Island, New York, who did not want to share his last name, told Fox News Digital.
Hundreds of lives are lost each year on U.S. waterways due to recreational boating accidents that can be prevented, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. (iStock)
“I know more people will be on the water and likely drinking.”
He said that while spending time on the water with family and friends, he’s witnessed boaters driving erratically and speeding with an alcoholic beverage in hand.
Deadly consequences
Just as with driving drunk on the road, boating under the influence is illegal and can have deadly consequences, water safety experts told Fox News Digital.
Alcohol is known to cause impaired judgment, balance, coordination and reaction time — all of which can put boat operators and their passengers at risk for accidents and fatalities.
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It can also impact vision, leading to “decreased peripheral vision, reduced depth perception, decreased night vision, poor focus, and difficulty in distinguishing colors (particularly red and green),” according to the Coast Guard’s website.
“Alcohol and drug use on the water can be more hazardous than on land, as the combination of the marine environment motion, vibration, engine, noise, sun, wind and spray accelerates a user’s impairment,” Megan Ferraro, executive director of The ZAC Foundation, a water safety organization in Greenwich, Connecticut, told Fox News Digital.
Alcohol is known to cause impaired judgment, balance, coordination and reaction time — all of which can put boat operators and their passengers at risk for accidents and fatalities. (iStock)
“Alcohol consumption on the water also increases the likelihood of dangerous behaviors, such as swimming while intoxicated, falling overboard or capsizing the boat,” she went on.
“It can also increase the risk of hypothermia in the water.”
“Alcohol and drug use on the water can be more hazardous than on land.”
Drinking while boating or swimming is a lethal combination, Ferraro said — especially among young adults.
Among recreational water deaths involving U.S. adolescents, 30% to 70% occur while drinking alcohol and swimming or boating, she stated.
A boat operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above 0.10% is more than 10 times as likely to die in a boating accident compared to an individual who did not consume alcohol, according to a Coast Guard estimate.
Among recreational water deaths involving U.S. adolescents, 30% to 70% occur while they’re drinking alcohol and swimming or boating, an expert said. (iStock)
Alcohol also contributes to nearly a third of drownings each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.
“For lots of people, summer is a time to get outside and enjoy activities with friends and family,” Dr. George F. Koob, PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), said in a comment to Fox News Digital.
“Sometimes these activities involve alcohol.”
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Alcohol can put a damper on summer festivities, Koob warned — “from increasing the risk of sunburns to causing boating accidents and drownings.”
Boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs (BUI) is illegal in every state, the Coast Guard also said.
Penalties can include fines, loss of boating privileges and even jail time.
6 tips for staying safe on the water
Besides alcohol consumption, the Coast Guard report also cited factors like operator inattention or inexperience, improper lookout, excessive speed, and failure of machinery as contributing factors in boating accidents.
The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that life jackets could have saved the lives of more than 80% of boating fatality victims. (iStock)
The U.S. Coast Guard website and water safety experts offered the below tips for staying safe while boating.
1. Avoid alcoholic beverages
Designating a “sober captain” will help to ensure the safety of everyone on board and potentially others on the water, experts agreed.
The U.S. Coast Guard recommends that operators take a boating safety course. (iStock)
“This person must refrain from consuming alcohol or drugs and always remain alert and capable of piloting the vessel safely,” Ferraro said.
Koob also recommended avoiding alcoholic beverages while piloting a boat, driving a car, exploring the wilderness, and swimming or surfing.
Bringing along non-alcoholic beverages will help keep everyone refreshed and deter passengers and the boat operator from drinking alcohol, Ferraro added.
“Having no alcohol while aboard is the safest way to enjoy the water, as intoxicated passengers are also at risk of injury and falls overboard,” the Coast Guard said on its website.
2. Remain vigilant
“Boaters should remain vigilant on the water, as most incidents occur when you might least expect them – in good visibility, calm waters and little wind,” Capt. Amy Beach, director of inspections and compliance at the U.S. Coast Guard, said in a May 2024 news release.
A boat operator with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.10% is more than 10 times as likely to die in a boating accident.
The most frequent events involve collisions with other vessels, objects or groundings, she pointed out — “which is why it is so important to keep a proper lookout, navigate at a safe speed, adhere to navigation rules and obey navigation aids.”
3. Wear US Coast Guard-approved life jackets
The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that life jackets could have saved the lives of more than 80% of boating fatality victims, according to its website.
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Accidents can occur at high speeds on the water, leaving little time to reach for a stowed life jacket, the organization added.
4. Perform a vessel safety check
This will ensure the boat is operating properly, the Coast Guard advised.
The operator should also ensure that passengers are aware of propeller hazard areas and should account for passengers and children.
Passengers should not be permitted to ride where they can fall overboard.
If someone falls overboard, the Coast Guard recommends stopping the boat and making sure the area is clear to start the recovery process. (iStock)
If small children will be on board, experts recommend babyproofing or childproofing the boat just as you would at home.
5. Ensure safe pickups
If someone falls overboard, the Coast Guard recommends stopping the boat and making sure the area is clear to start the recovery process.
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Never put a boat in reverse to pick someone up out of the water, the agency states.
Instead, the operator should keep the person visible at all times and circle around going forward.
6. Consider taking a boating safety course
The U.S. Coast Guard recommends on its website that operators take a boating safety course. These courses are offered throughout the country, via organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Power Squadron and many state boating agencies.
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard for comment.
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Health
Switching from cigarettes to vapes linked to higher risk of major eye diseases, large study finds
US cigarette smoking drops to record low, vaping and nicotine pouch use surges
Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel discusses a New England Journal of Medicine study reporting US adult cigarette smoking rates dropped to a record low of 9.9% in 2024. Siegel warns about the addictive nature of vaping and nicotine pouches, which contain high levels of nicotine. He expresses concern over potential GI tract and heart issues, stressing social media’s role in promoting these products to younger generations.
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Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a massive nationwide study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that smokeless alternatives could increase the risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine altogether.
Researchers from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, analyzed health data from a group of 179,273 adults through the Korean National Health Insurance Service, according to a press release.
All participants had smoked traditional cigarettes between 2011 and 2012 and then quit smoking by 2018 or 2019, they reported.
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To ensure a fair comparison, the researchers paired up participants who shared similar backgrounds, including their age, gender, medical history, existing health conditions and general lifestyle habits.
Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a large study suggests it could pose a risk to eye health. (iStock)
This process created a balanced group of 32,316 matched participants, who were divided into two categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products and those who transitioned to smokeless nicotine products, such as vapes.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of 4.6 years to determine whether they developed eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and focus-related eyesight disorders.
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Over the tracking period, the group experienced a total of 6,328 major eye disease events. People who quit nicotine entirely had the lowest disease rate in the study, at 41.1 cases per 1,000 person-years (a measure that accounts for both the number of people in the study and how long they were followed).
In comparison, that rate rose to 44 cases for individuals who had switched over to smokeless alternatives like vapes.
The people included in the study were divided into two main categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products, and switchers who transitioned to smokeless tobacco or nicotine products, like vapes. (iStock)
Ultimately, the data showed that switching to alternative nicotine products carried a steady 7% increased risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine completely.
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Most notably, those who switched faced a 24% higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
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Additionally, those who ditched cigarettes for vapes had a 7% higher risk of developing refractive and accommodation disorders, which affect the eye’s ability to focus clearly.
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“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted.
“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted. (iStock)
The authors did point out a few limitations of the research. Because this was a study looking back at health insurance data, it cannot definitively prove that vaping directly causes eye damage.
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Additionally, the study relied on people filling out questionnaires about their own smoking and vaping habits, which can sometimes lead to underreporting or simple memory errors.
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Still, the researchers concluded the findings suggest that replacing cigarettes with alternative nicotine products may not eliminate the risk of certain eye diseases.
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