Statistics
School days missed:
Every year, more than 164 million school days are lost due to illness. It is believed that a great number of these days could be reduced if children merely washed their hands properly and regularly.

*Source: "Vital Health and Statistics, Current Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 1995" (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics, 1998).

Opportunity to improve health of children
A study of 305 school children found that youngsters who washed their hands four times a day had 24% fewer sick days due to respiratory illness and 51% fewer days due to upset stomach.

Source: Reuters NewsMedia, www.foodsafety.gov/~dms/fsehandw.html

Save money for schools
School absences resulting from sick students and teachers are more than just disruptive, they can be expensive, too. Schools need to pay substitutes when teachers are sick and teachers need to spend extra time and resources helping sick students catch up. Parents are also affected because of lost work days and additional healthcare expenses due to having a child sick at home. With school district budgets as tight as they are these days, it makes financial sense to significantly limit days missed due to avoidable illnesses.