Preventing summer accidents

ABSTRACT

Sadly, accidents, many of which are preventable, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children and teenagers. Given an adolescent's less-developed sense of judgment and often heightened self-confidence, teenagers don't often stop to ask, "should I take this risk?" Children and adolescents with short attention spans, impulsivity, and depression are at increased risk, because these conditions further impair judgment and result in less consideration about safety. Have there been forthright conversations about being vulnerable when drunk and how parents will react to a call for help if that call avoids a dangerous situation?