We at Monarch Health Promotions want everyone to have a happy, healthy, safe 4th of July!

With that in mind, please consider the fireworks injury statistics and the tips below:

• Fireworks devices were involved in an estimated 9,200 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms.

• An estimated 6,400 injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms during the one-month period (June 16-July 16) surrounding the Fourth of July.

• Firecrackers accounted for 20% of all injuries followed by rockets (13%), and sparklers (16%).

• Males suffered three times the number of injuries as females.

• Sparklers caused the greatest number of injuries in children 14 and younger, followed by firecrackers and rockets.

Of the 1,000 estimated sparkler injuries,

• 200 were to children age 5 and younger.
• 2,300 of the injuries were to children under age 15.

• 11 people were killed by fireworks in 2006.

Fireworks Free Fun
You can ensure your children’s safety by supervising their activities and their environment. Instead of worrying about what
might be going on in your neighborhood, you can be what’s going on in the neighborhood.

1. Host a Fourth of July party for your kids and their friends.
2. Let the kids decorate T-shirts or hats with paint and decals that glow in the dark. When evening rolls around, their new night-bright clothes will be dry and ready to model.
3. Take the kids to a professional fireworks show. Check your local paper for times and locations of displays in your area.
4. Provide safe sounds and sparkles (see lists below).

Safe Sounds
Part of fireworks’ attraction to children is the big noise that goes with them. Kids love making noise and there are lots of safe ways for them to do this.

• Step or sit on inflated balloons until they pop.

• Inflate small bags (lunch bags are a good size). Popping the bags makes a nice, loud “BANG”.

• Buy noisemakers from a party store. Different brands and types of noisemakers make many unique, and loud sounds.

• Bring out your old pots, pans and pie plates. The kitchen cacophony should be quite satisfying to the noise-making set.

• Horns, whistles, bells and cymbals will also serve as sound fun.

Safe Sparkles
The other attractive part of fireworks is the glitter. Here are some safe, fire-free tips.

• Glo-sticks, glo-ropes and glo-jewelry provide safe and fun ways to brighten an evening.

• Flashlights, plain or with filters made by wrapping the flashlight in colored cellophane, can light the night in fun, safe ways.

• Neon and glow-in-the-dark paint can provide both a fun afternoon project and a special evening display. Kids enjoy watching their art take on a special glow as the sky darkens.

• A jar of fireflies or lightening bugs can provide lots of fun. Nature’s little sparklers provide a fun challenge to young insect
hunters. Just remember to release the bugs before the hunters go to bed!

• Novelty flashlights can be extra fun. You can buy flashlights that have mirrors to bounce the light, and changeable colored filters or optic fibers that look like sparklers but are much safer.

Please remember to celebrate safely. Fireworks are extremely
dangerous. Do not purchase, use or store fireworks of any type.  Attend only authorized public fireworks displays conducted by licensed operators, but be aware that even
professional displays can be dangerous.

Source: Green M.A., Joholske, J., 2006 Fireworks Annual Report: Fireworks-Related Deaths, Emergency Department Treated Injuries, and Enforcement Activities During 2006.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, June, 2007

For more about Fireworks, Call the PBA Vision Health  Resource Center at 1-800-331-2020.