Leave Fireworks to the Professionals - Decades of accidents teach us that fireworks are dangerous. Over 11,000 fireworks-related injuries occur each year, resulting in approximately 2,000 eye
injuries.
The typical victim is a teenager, at home, unsupervised, with a group of friends. They are playing with fireworks and chances are one of them will end up in the emergency room with an injury to the head, eyes or hands. Losing your sight or losing a finger is a tragic price to pay for a few minutes of fun with fireworks.
In an effort to reduce these preventable injuries, Eye M.D.s across America encourage families to attend local public fireworks displays instead of using fireworks at home this Fourth of July. This recommendation is made as part of Fireworks Eye Safety Month sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Attending a public fireworks display on the Fourth is a safe way to honor our tradition of independence.
One of the reasons fireworks injuries continue to occur is because people don't know how dangerous these devices can be. Each year, the legal, Class C Common Fireworks, cause thousands of
injuries. The risk of losing an eye is not worth the excitement of watching fireworks
explode. Although illegal fireworks, bottle rockets and Roman candles account for the majority of injuries, seemingly harmless sparklers also cause numerous injuries each year. For children under the age of five, sparklers account for three-quarters of all fireworks injuries. Fascinated by the bright sparks, children find these sticks of fire - burning as hot as 1,200 degrees, hot enough to melt gold - irresistible to touch.
The physicians of
Richmond Eye Associates believe that the safest and most spectacular way to view fireworks is through professionally conducted, community sponsored
displays.
