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SUNDAY, July 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- If you're planning on shooting off fireworks on the 4th of July, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges you to find other ways to celebrate the holiday.
"We know that sales of fireworks increased in 2020 as did injuries, so parents and caregivers need to be vigilant this 4th of July, and leave any fireworks to the professionals," Dr. James Dodington, a member of the executive committee of the AAP Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention, said in an academy news release.
In 2020, about 15,600 people were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for fireworks injuries, and there were at least 18 fireworks-related deaths, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Of those who were injured, about 1,100 were under 5 years of age, 1,400 were aged 5 to 14, and 1,300 were aged 15 to 19. Injuries included burns and wounds to the hands and fingers (30%); head, face, and ears (22%); eyes (15%); legs (13%); and arms (12%).
The AAP offers some safety suggestions:
Last year, there were about 900 ER-treated injuries associated with sparklers in the United States. About 1,600 more injuries were related to firecrackers, 600 to Roman candles, and 600 more to bottle rockets and other rockets.
Fireworks and firecrackers can be as loud as 150 decibels, which is far louder than what's considered safe (75 to 80 decibels), so you also need to protect your children's hearing, the AAP said.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on fireworks safety.
SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics, news release, June 29, 2021