Palm | Kelapa Sawit

Imagine it … you are out at a family barbecue for the Fourth of July or Memorial Day, and you have purchased some illegal fireworks to shoot off after it gets dark outside to entertain your family, especially the kids. You have also purchases sparklers for the kids and you know that your 5-year-old niece will love the different colored sparklers you bought, too.

Wait! Before you light them, consider an article posted on The Trauma Foundation website. The article states, “8,800 people were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries. Four people died from these injuries. Fifty percent of fireworks injuried occurred among children 14 years and younger. Seventy-five percent of fireworks injuries occurred among boys as compared to 25% among gilrs. More than half of the injuries (66%) involved burns; the hands and fingers (32%), eyes (21%), and the head and face (17%) were the part so the body most frequently injured.”

Even more frightening is that a sparkler can actually reach a temperature of up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Little children all over the United States can be seen running around with sparklers, practically unsupervised. Do parents know how dangerous they can be?

Fireworks are so dangerous and cause so many injuries that injuries have cost approximately $100 million annually in the United States. The article also has a map of states that have banned the sale of fireworks, and these states have also reported diminished firework related injuries in emergency rooms. Individual states can also place restrictions on what types of fireworks are able to be bought. What is the best way to stop little kids from running around with sparklers? The article states that federal regulations are needed, but I think education is the best way to stop the spread of injury. Parents need to understand the real dangers to their children!

Check the article out at http://www.traumaf.org/featured/6-29-04fireworks.html

Posted by (Abdulelah Alruwaished)