Mandatory PFDs? And Prescribing Nature

Tim and Pamela discuss some research and a survey on the possibility of mandatory wearing of PFDs and lifejackets in watercraft and a program aimed at prescribing time outdoors and annual day passes to National parks to improve your mental and physical health.

https://letstalktransportation.ca/lets-talk-making-personal-flotation-devices-lifejackets-mandatory-for-recreational-boaters

https://www.parkprescriptions.ca/

Transcript

00:00 - 00:04
Hello, and good day, Welcome to the Super Good Camping podcast. My name is Pamela.

00:04 - 00:04
I'm Tim.

00:04 - 00:05
And we are from supergoodcamping.com.

00:06 - 00:11
We are here because we're on a mission to inspire other people to get outside and enjoy outdoor

00:11 - 00:12
adventures such as we have as a family.

00:13 - 00:18
Today, we have a couple of different topics to get into, ones that are near and dear to our hearts.

00:18 - 00:20
So I'll turn it over to Tim for the first one.

00:20 - 00:25
Sure. Okay. So there's a I'll put a link in the description, but there's a survey out.

00:25 - 00:31
The government's looking at making, PFDs and life jackets mandatory in some form or another.

00:31 - 00:33
They've done a bunch of research.

00:33 - 00:36
Actually, they did a bunch of research in the olden days.

00:38 - 00:40
And then they started again in, 2018.

00:40 - 00:47
And they now have a discussion forum, and a survey that they would like people to to weigh in on.

00:47 - 00:54
I know there are there are 2 camps at least of people that are vocally against wearing being

00:54 - 00:57
being forced to wear PFD's and then and then there's me.

00:58 - 01:05
I I firmly believe in it, but my own personal opinion is is again back in the olden days, those

01:05 - 01:10
those big bulky things, yeah they're a pain in the butt and they're hard especially if you're,

01:10 - 01:15
you know, if you're, they call it human powered like watercraft, you know, the paddling is is

01:15 - 01:17
tough around those great big things.

01:17 - 01:22
The new ones, the ones that we have out today, it barely even I mean I can't say that I noticed I have it on.

01:22 - 01:28
It's I put it on out of habit because it's it's what I do. I get extra pockets.

01:28 - 01:34
I don't and and if I'm a if I'm a goof or we come around a corner and get a big swell or who

01:34 - 01:37
knows, you know and you get chucked out of the out of the out of the canoe.

01:37 - 01:41
I don't have to be a good swimmer, you know. That's that's all.

01:41 - 01:46
I'm gonna give you some stats from from some of the research that they did and then I'll let

01:46 - 01:49
you, I'll let you weigh in at the survey.

01:49 - 01:52
So the most recent stats are in Canada anyhow.

01:52 - 01:56
A 111 recreational boating deaths each year.

01:56 - 02:05
The leading cause, no PFD or life jacket. 89% of the fatalities are because of because they

02:05 - 02:06
weren't wearing a life jacket.

02:06 - 02:12
So yeah, they started the the new research, the new round of research in 2018 and less than

02:12 - 02:15
50% of people report wearing a PFD.

02:15 - 02:21
I think it was something like like observationally, leap, the number of people they saw wearing

02:21 - 02:25
life jackets was more like 34%, something like that.

02:25 - 02:31
Kayakers powered like human powered craft, kayakers were the largest, were the best at wearing

02:31 - 02:33
them or the wore them the most at 78%.

02:33 - 02:38
Canoers on the other hand, are at the bottom of the pile, were at 41%.

02:38 - 02:41
Which I'm unhappy about that.

02:41 - 02:46
Yeah, the majority of p f majority of fatalities weren't wearing a PFD.

02:46 - 02:49
And most fatalities were adults.

02:50 - 02:54
Most of the time they're willing to put PFDs on their kids but not wear them themselves.

02:55 - 02:57
Oh, and there was another stat I wish I'd written it down.

02:57 - 03:00
Go go read the go read the all the info.

03:00 - 03:09
It was something crazy like 65% of people were more likely to wear a PFD if the whoever was

03:09 - 03:11
piloting the boat was wearing a PFD.

03:12 - 03:13
I thought that was interesting.

03:13 - 03:14
Peer pressure.

03:14 - 03:16
That's well, but that's You

03:17 - 03:17
can be an influencer.

03:17 - 03:19
Influencer, that's it. There you go.

03:19 - 03:25
That makes it sound so much better. Number 1, fatalities, powerboats. Number 2, canoes.

03:25 - 03:33
Cap sizing or falling or being thrown overboard are the the 3 biggest leading causes or latest

03:33 - 03:37
what led to people drowning for all intents purposes.

03:37 - 03:42
So what they're looking to do is that after after they're they've developed their criteria from,

03:42 - 03:47
from the research they came up with 3 categories to to try to break it down. One was age requirements.

03:48 - 03:57
So be like, you know, here in Ontario we have a mandatory bike helmet, law And it's 18 and under.

03:57 - 04:00
I think you have to wear a a bike helmet.

04:01 - 04:03
I I have some statistics for that too.

04:04 - 04:09
Just because we're going to compare and it's it won't be apples and apples but I think it kinda is apple and oranges.

04:09 - 04:13
So age requirements, vessel length and vessel type.

04:14 - 04:20
And if you want to participate in the survey or the or the discussion forum, again, the link

04:20 - 04:21
will be in the description.

04:21 - 04:26
It's unfortunately, we only a short window left, because I only just heard about this.

04:27 - 04:33
It's up until November 4th, 2024 and probably, I would assume for more information.

04:33 - 04:36
If you wanted, Paddling Adventure Radio.

04:36 - 04:41
Sean and Derek Paddling Adventure Radio. It's another podcast. They're they're they're awesome.

04:41 - 04:43
They've had so much experience, so much knowledge.

04:44 - 04:45
I know that they've dived into it.

04:45 - 04:51
I didn't listen to that episode yet just to make sure that I wasn't I was I didn't have a colored

04:51 - 04:53
opinion or at least yeah, I didn't have a colored opinion.

04:53 - 04:55
Go check those guys out, they're they're awesome.

04:55 - 05:00
So so that the apples and oranges, the Ontario, bike helmet law is yeah, is 18 and under.

05:01 - 05:03
It mandatory you have to wear a a bike helmet.

05:04 - 05:09
And so here's here's here's kind of where my thinking goes.

05:09 - 05:17
The number of bicycle related deaths in 16 years old and under decreased 52% after the law came into a place.

05:17 - 05:20
That was it from a 2,008 study, 50 2% met.

05:20 - 05:22
So where can people go for the survey again?

05:22 - 05:25
I'm not gonna even try to do the link.

05:25 - 05:27
Go check check the the description box.

05:27 - 05:28
It's a it's a very long

05:28 - 05:30
So it will be the link will be in the description.

05:30 - 05:32
The link will be in the description. Yeah.

05:33 - 05:34
That's that's it for me.

05:37 - 05:42
Yeah. So my personal thing that I'm interested in so I mentioned this before, I think briefly,

05:42 - 05:46
but I'll mention it again just because I'll go into a little more detail, I think, than I did last time.

05:46 - 05:49
It's about exchanging screen time for green time.

05:49 - 05:56
So rather than, spending a lot of time watching YouTube, let's get outside, go and spend some time in the green.

05:57 - 06:03
There is lots of evidence that doing that is good for your mental health, your and your physical health.

06:03 - 06:09
And there are some of the statistics around that is it's people are 90% happier when they are

06:09 - 06:14
outside or sorry. 90% of people are happier when they are outside.

06:14 - 06:16
It decreases your risk of heart disease.

06:16 - 06:22
It it and also high blood pressure and diabetes, improves your memory and your creativity.

06:23 - 06:26
It helps to decrease inflammation and stress.

06:27 - 06:32
Seniors who live near green spaces live longer, and youth who live near green spaces are more

06:32 - 06:34
resilient, less anxious, and depressed.

06:35 - 06:42
Their test scores are better, and people who are are take a 20 minute walk in a park have, better

06:42 - 06:44
concentration, even people with ADHD.

06:45 - 06:48
And people who live on tree lined streets have less asthma.

06:49 - 06:55
So all that seems to point towards being near green space or spending time in green spaces is

06:55 - 06:57
good for our overall health.

06:57 - 07:05
And as a, prescriber, so anyone who is a regulated health professional in Canada can apply to

07:05 - 07:12
be a PARCC prescriber, which is meaning that I can write a prescription for someone to spend more time in nature.

07:12 - 07:17
The recommendation is that people spend at least 2 hours a week in 20 to 30 minute sessions.

07:18 - 07:21
That's the window where cortisol levels start to decrease.

07:22 - 07:30
And you can go to parkprescriptions.ca, And on there, you can indicate that you are a, health

07:30 - 07:33
professional and then register to become a prescriber.

07:34 - 07:37
As a prescriber, I can prescribe once per month.

07:37 - 07:44
I can prescribe for people a Canada Parks pass, a discovery pass, that gets them into any of

07:44 - 07:49
Parks Canada properties, as a day pass and for one full year.

07:49 - 07:56
So if you happen to live somewhere near, like here in Toronto, the Rouge National Park is, somewhere

07:56 - 08:00
where people if you live somewhere around that area and you really want access to that, you

08:00 - 08:02
can have access for free.

08:03 - 08:08
Once a month, I can prescribe that for somebody, but also I can prescribe nature for everybody that I see.

08:08 - 08:14
And for those people, they in addition to just the benefits of health benefits, they also get

08:14 - 08:19
benefits like being able to get access to the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.

08:19 - 08:22
The Toronto Zoo offers 50% off admission.

08:23 - 08:30
The Toronto Region Conservation Authority is 20% off membership with them, and being in nature

08:30 - 08:35
is considered to be the 4th pillar of health together with diet, exercise, and sleep.

08:35 - 08:39
So I know I'm preaching to the choir, but then if I preach to the choir, maybe the choir will

08:39 - 08:42
then go and sing to the masses and spread the word.

08:42 - 08:47
So try to get the word around to everybody that, being out in nature is good for us.

08:47 - 08:52
It's also good for the planet because the more connected we are to nature, the more we feel

08:52 - 08:55
inclined to want to protect it and take care of the planet.

08:56 - 08:59
And so please do feel free to go to parkprescriptions.ca.

09:00 - 09:06
If you're not a health professional yourself, maybe encourage your health professional to register with them.

09:06 - 09:10
The way the process, the way it works is that if you come in and, you know, report to me you're

09:10 - 09:16
feeling anxious and depressed, I can say, okay, I can prescribe for you this on this Canada

09:17 - 09:22
Parks Pass, and you can get out in nature as often as you choose over the course of the year.

09:22 - 09:27
And for everybody, I can prescribe this 2 hours per week, 20 to 30 minute sessions.

09:27 - 09:35
You then go there as the patient and register that, and that's where you can get the benefits from the Park prescription.

09:35 - 09:39
So anyway, if you know someone who is a health professional and you'd like them to get involved, please encourage them to.

09:40 - 09:43
And then if you get your health professional involved, then they can prescribe it for you, and

09:43 - 09:45
then you can reap all the benefits.

09:45 - 09:47
And that's it for my portion

09:47 - 09:49
of the show. Alright. That sounds cool.

09:49 - 09:50
So that's it for us today.

09:50 - 09:54
And if you would like to reach out to us, if you have questions about anything that we talked

09:54 - 10:04
about or you have a different topic you'd like us to talk about, please do reach out to us. We are at SuperGoodCamping.com. Com. That's SuperGoodCamping.com.

10:04 - 10:06
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10:06 - 10:11
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10:11 - 10:13
it if you subscribed there.

10:13 - 10:17
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10:17 - 10:21
support the show, including buying some super good camping merchandise.

10:21 - 10:23
And that's it for us.

10:23 - 10:24
We'll talk to you again soon. Bye.

10:25 - 10:25
Bye.