Seemingly harmless sparklers actually aren't
Along with firecrackers and rockets, sparks and hot metal can cause serious burns

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay News) -- Fireworks are about as American as mom and apple pie. As the Fourth of July draws near, huge display stands pop up everywhere as people stock up for family gatherings and Independence Day celebrations.

But every time a child is handed a sparkler or someone shoots off a bottle rocket, danger lurks.

"People are drawn to fireworks because of that natural attraction to sparkles and colors and things with light," said Lorraine Carli, vice president of communications for the National Fire Protection Association. "But fireworks cause a significant number of injuries and fires each year."

About 9,800 people a year are treated in emergency rooms for injuries caused by fireworks, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. And fireworks caused 11 deaths in 2007 -- five in fireworks accidents, three in house fires started by fireworks and three stemming from the illegal manufacture of fireworks. Numbers for 2008 have not been released.

The injuries start ramping up in the weeks before the Fourth of July, experts say. Nearly two-thirds of all fireworks-related injuries occur between June 22 and July 22.

"The reality is, so many injuries take place when fireworks are being used in a non-professional environment," said Dr. Sandra S. Block, a professor of optometry and associate dean at the Illinois College of Optometry and a spokeswoman for Prevent Blindness America. "There are a lot of people exposed to fireworks. It's just an ungodly amount of people."

Most injuries are caused by sparklers, which many people consider one of the most innocuous forms of fireworks. But sparklers caused 17 percent of all injuries in 2007, according to government statistics, outstripping all other forms of fireworks.

"We all used to think sparklers were safe, but they really aren't," Block said. Sparklers burn at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. "The metal itself gets so hot, you burn yourself."

The next most dangerous are firecrackers and rockets, each of which have caused about 15 percent of injuries in recent years.

"Bottle rockets are really unpredictable," Block said. The rockets have an erratic flight path, and the containers used to fire them can easily tip over and send the rocket shooting toward bystanders. "You don't even want to be around when people are playing with them."

Hands and fingers generally sustain the most injuries, accounting for about a third of fireworks accidents. Eye injuries occur in about 20 percent of those hurt. Nearly half the time, victims are burned by fireworks, with cuts and lacerations also accounting for a good share of injuries.

What makes these statistics all the more tragic, officials say, is that most injuries occur to kids. People younger than 20 accounted for 54 percent of all injuries in 2007.

In fact, Carli said, kids 10 to 14 face a 2.5 times greater risk than the average person of being hurt by fireworks. "We don't think that anybody should be using them, but they are particularly dangerous in the hands of children," she said.

Fireworks also pose a significant fire hazard. They cause about 1,800 structure fires and 700 vehicle fires each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Because of these facts, groups such as Prevent Blindness America and the National Fire Protection Association recommend that people stay away from fireworks completely.

"We feel there really is no safe way for consumers to use fireworks," Carli said. "Instead, we suggest that people enjoy commercial displays."

That goes not only for people who plan to shoot off fireworks but also for people in the general vicinity of fireworks displays. "You may be a bystander, but bystanders are as much at risk as the person lighting the fireworks," Block said.

These groups and others have lobbied for states to ban or more strictly regulate fireworks, but they haven't had much success.

"There are only five states that truly ban fireworks," Block said, citing Delaware , Massachusetts , New Jersey , New York and Rhode Island . Other states restrict the sale of some types of fireworks, but people sometimes drive to a nearby state that has fewer restrictions.

Across the United States , most cities feature fireworks shows that are much more colorful and spectacular than anything an individual could do with fireworks purchased from a street vendor.

"You don't necessarily have to do it in the backyard to appreciate the beauty of a fireworks display," Block said. "Most urban areas have these beautiful, elaborate fireworks displays."

On the Web

Prevent Blindness America has more on fireworks safety.

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