The association between school holidays and unintentional fatal drowning among children and adolescents aged 5-17 years.

Drowning rates among 5-17 year-olds are more than twice as high during holidays than on school days. Impact of school holidays was the strongest among younger children, visitors to the drowning location and in pools and inland waterways. Results were robust to alternative specifications excluding weekends and treating them as holidays. Prevention strategies may include counselling parents and care providers of the increased risk ahead of school holidays, education on drowning risk in the school curriculum and extra holidays for parents and care givers.