The Emergency Department is No Place to Celebrate the Fourth of July
Firework-Related Injuries Led to 15,600 Emergency Department Visits in the U.S. in 2020
ALBANY, NY (June 30, 2022) – Every Fourth of July, fireworks are responsible for many cases of eye and ear damage, burns, puncture wounds, and permanent scarring. For this reason, the New York State Department of Health urged New Yorkers today to celebrate Independence Day safely using only legal sparkly devices and leaving professionals other types of illegal fireworks in New York.
“The Fourth of July celebrations are for spending time with family and friends, not for visiting the emergency room after a fireworks accident,” said Dr. Mary T. Bassett, state health commissioner. To see also : Every video game release in July 2022. “It is important to teach children and remind everyone that fireworks are not toys and can be dangerous. I encourage New Yorkers to enjoy the many public fireworks displays on Independence Day instead of risking injury by organizing home fireworks.”
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were approximately 15,600 fireworks-related injuries nationwide in 2020 that required emergency room treatment. About 66% of these injuries occurred over a one-month period around the July 4th holiday, and about 44% of the wounds were burns.
In 2020, 218 New Yorkers needed treatment from an emergency room for fireworks-related injuries, and 56 percent of these fireworks-related injuries occurred in July.
The most common causes of fireworks-related injuries are:
Fireworks, including firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, spinners, and aerial devices, are illegal in New York State.
Sparkling devices are grounded or portable devices that produce a shower of colored sparks and / or a colored flame, audible crackling or hissing and smoke. The law limits the type, size and construction of scintillating devices and requires that these devices must be hand-held or mounted on a base or tip and be limited in size ranging from 1 to 500 grams of pyrotechnic composition. The State Office of Fire Prevention and Control offers tips for the safe use of sparklers here.
Consider using safer alternatives like glow sticks, colorful streamers, or confetti snaps.
More than 19,500 reported fires are started by fireworks each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
The Department also recommends that you take simple precautions when viewing professional fireworks displays, including the use of earplugs to protect your hearing, keep a safe distance from the fireworks launch site, and leave pets. at home.
