[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 78 (Friday, May 10, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E573-E574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAFE KIDS NORTH CAROLINA

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                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 10, 2019

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
25th anniversary of Safe Kids North Carolina. Housed within the North 
Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI), Safe Kids was founded in

[[Page E574]]

1994 with the mission of preventing unintentional child injuries, which 
are the number one cause of death for children in North Carolina and 
the United States.
  Today, the organization leads a state-wide network of 48 local Safe 
Kids coalitions representing children's hospitals, health departments, 
fire departments, EMS services and non-profits. This network gives Safe 
Kids North Carolina a strong presence to provide injury prevention 
services to communities throughout the state. It is the largest Safe 
Kids Worldwide state coalition in the United States
  One of Safe Kids' focus is ensuring parents keep their children safe 
on the road. Their network of local coalitions held over 100 car seat 
check events last year and operates 96 permanent car seat inspection 
stations to make sure car seats are properly installed and to educate 
parents on child passenger safety. Additionally, last fall, in the 
aftermath of Hurricane Florence, the organization hosted a series of 
Child Passenger Safety Seat Take Back events to help families replace, 
free of charge, car seats damaged by the region's extensive flooding. 
At these events, Safe Kids North Carolina made over 400 car seats 
available to needy families in the hardest-hit parts of the state.
  In addition to car safety, Safe Kids North Carolina has been a 
pioneer in drug takeback measures. The organization works with 
communities and families to decrease the incidence of childhood 
unintentional medication ingestions. Since 2010, Safe Kids North 
Carolina has joined with the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation, 
local law enforcement agencies, and community partners in Operation 
Medicine Drop, which has resulted in the safe disposal of more than 152 
million pills of unwanted medication. In the years since Operation 
Medicine Drop began, the organization has supported over 3,000 events 
and helped to establish 250 permanent disposal locations across North 
Carolina. In this program, Safe Kids North Carolina and NCDOI are a 
model for other states to follow.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Safe Kids 
North Carolina for its work over the past 25 years to protect the 
health and safety of all North Carolina children.

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