New pool safety law goes into effect this holiday season

If you’re hoping to escape news of the sad economy by, well, escaping, be aware that your vacation checklist should include one extra detail: Is the hotel pool up to date? New standards for swimming pools and spas go into effect in December, with the aim of preventing some of the hundreds of annual drowning deaths. Drowning is the second leading accidental cause of death in children 1 to 14.

Starting December 19 (or when the pool opens for the season), the Consumer Product Safety Commission will require all public pools to have safer drain covers or systems that reduce the chance of entrapment. This includes pools at hotels and apartment buildings, so if you’re visiting the grandparents in Florida for the holidays, their condo pool will have to be up to snuff as well.

Before you book a room at a U.S. hotel, call and ask the general manager or hotel engineer whether the pool has been brought up to code, and when. He or she should be able to tell you specifically that the drain systems conform to the new standards.