Fireworks Alert:
More at stake than just confiscated fireworks
Illinois public safety agencies, police and fire departments will again
be on the lockout for vehicles transporting fireworks illegally into
Illinois from neighboring states. It is important to note that both
fireworks and vehicles can be confiscated. If these illegal fireworks do
get into the mainstream, they could present substantial risks of injury
resulting in death, blindness, amputations or burns.
"Don't be blinded by the dangers of fireworks" continues to
be the message of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness (ISPB).
According to the1999 ISPB Illinois Survey - compiled from data received
from the Illinois hospital emergency rooms, ophthalmologists and
optometrists - 52 percent of the eye-related injuries were children and
young adults under the age of twenty. Ninety-seven percent of those
treated were males and bottle rockets led the list for the most
eye-related injuries.
Bottle rockets, illegal in Illinois, have also been identified as a
major source of preventable vision loss by one of ISPB's programs, the
Illinois Eye Injury Registry (IEIR) and by the other state affiliates of
the United States Eye Injury Registry (USEIR).**
Sparklers, legal in Illinois, can also cause injury and damage. They burn
at1800° and are lighted with a match. Please Be Careful!
Because of risks for injury and the importance of fireworks safety,
here are some suggestions to follow:
- Use eye protection if you are an operator of fireworks or a
bystander.
- Collect all burned out sparkler wires for proper disposal. Keep in
mind that sparklers burn at 1800° and stay hot long after burning
out.
- Keep younger children away from all fireworks; older children always
should be supervised if operating legal fireworks (i.e., sparklers,
snakes, etc.)
- Keep water nearby for emergencies.
- Be sure other bystanders and pets are out of range.
- Always follow directions of all local police and fire personnel.
James A. McKechnie, Jr., Executive Director of the Illinois Society for
the Prevention of Blindness reminds us, once again, that fireworks in
Illinois, with the exception of sparklers, are illegal. Mr. McKechnie
suggests: "If you want to include fireworks in your festivities,
leave it to the professionals and attend local municipal public displays
or watch them on TV. Don't forget that fireworks are made of gun powder
and are therefore volatile. Bystanders need to be especially careful,
too."
Through widespread media publicity and by educating children and adults
of the dangers of fireworks, the ISPB hopes that the number of eye-related
and bodily injuries will be reduced, not only during this Fourth of July
holiday and New Year's Eve, but throughout the year.
The Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness was
founded in 1916 to prevent needless blindness. Dedicated to the care,
protection and preservation of sight, ISPB programs stress education,
information and research.
***The USEIR is a nonprofit
organization sponsored by the Helen Keller Eye Research Foundation,
which obtains voluntarily reported data from its affiliated registries
nationwide.
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