A reminder from Dr. Kelsey Louie, FNHA Medical Officer

Today, July 5, is the second National Injury Prevention Day in Canada – a day to focus on the importance of being careful and staying safe while out and about. Far too many life-changing or life-ending injuries are preventable, for example, by wearing seatbelts, helmets, or life jackets, or by not texting or consuming alcohol or smoking marijuana while driving or participating in recreational activities like boating or swimming.

As a physician, I've seen more than my share of injuries, so I want to take this opportunity to remind Indigenous people in BC to drive and play safely – for your own sake and for others' sakes. No one wants to be the person who was texting and ran into kids on bikes or the person who forgot to wear a seat belt or a life jacket. Now that I'm older, I can better appreciate the wise advice my father always gave me: "The most dangerous time in life is when you're having fun. When you're out horsing around with friends, that's when you can get injured and so caught up in the enjoyment that you don't realize you're vulnerable."

I would add the simple reminder that we all need to be respectful of our surroundings and teach our children to do the same. When we're out on the water, maybe boating or canoeing – or on the road, whether driving or biking – there are simple precautions and common sense things we should always do to protect ourselves and others. These include notifying family friends if you're going to be hiking or off the grid, and being well prepared with proper equipment for every activity – driving, biking, boating, canoeing, skateboarding, rock climbing, swimming – whatever it is!

For information about how to protect yourself and your family against preventable injuries, see Parachute Canada's website at http://www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/topic/C108. Parachute is the charitable organization that started National Injury Prevention Day last year to raise awareness about this important subject.

Please have a safe, healthy, happy summer!