Are Your Children Safe from Sand?

Summer is here, time for some scaremongering! Newsday delivers the first dose in what is likely a season full of over-the-top warnings. The latest casts a dark shadow on sand, following a study by the Environmental Protection Agency who "found those who dig in the sand have an increased chance of gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea, due to fecal matter in the sand." Sand castle builders and those who enjoy getting buried in the sand are at a greater risk (seriously, it says that). Eh, a little gastrointestinal illness isn't a bad trade off for sculpting a sweet sand castle... but don't be fooled, that's not all you'll catch, you can also come down with upper respiratory illnesses, rash, eye ailments, earaches and infected cuts. The paper also injects this floating fact into the article for us locals, "Long Island has several outfall pipes that discharge to water near bathing beaches." Yeah, that's sewage overflow. So enjoy the beach this weekend everyone, and don't forget this year's hottest accessory (pictured).

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By Jen Carlson in News on July 10, 2009 1:22 PM

Comments [rss]

silver

Thats why I always stay in nice clean chlorinated pools. No swimming in green salty sewage for me with the jellyfish stinging.

schadenfreudian mensch

-You know there's a greater chance of you getting run over by a truck when you walk across the street than walking across your living room.

-You know there's a greater chance of getting food poisoning when you eat in a restaurant rather than eating at home.

-You know there's a greater chance of you catching a cold/flu when you ride in a packed subway car then if you were to lock yourself away at home and never ever venture out into the world.

Just thought you might want to know.

Thespis

I think there are two plausible responses:

1. Let's not be so finicky, or

2. Let's quit pumping poop onto the beaches.

Either strikes me as at least a little valid.

Tower18

I maintain that my years of growing up swimming in Lake Michigan in and around Chicago have made me stronger, like the bones of a martial artist become harder after years of minor impacts and hairline fractures. We baby ourselves too much these days.