Protect Your Eyes From Fireworks Injuries

Prevent Blindness wants all Americans to know that 14% of all injuries from fireworks are to the eyes, and that contusions, lacerations, and foreign bodies in the eyes occurred more frequently than burns to other parts of the body. Here are more important statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

  • Fireworks devices were involved in an estimated 12,900 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2017 (the latest year for which data is available).
  • An estimated 8,700 fireworks-related injuries (or 67% of the total estimated fireworks-related injuries in 2017) were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments surrounding the 4th of July period.
  • Males accounted for 70% of fireworks injuries.
  • 36% of fireworks injuries were to children under age 15.
  • Children 10 to 14 years of age had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries.
  • The parts of the body most often injured were hands and fingers (an estimated 31%); head, face, and ears (an estimated 22%); legs (an estimated 17%); eyes (an estimated 14%); and arms (an estimated 6%).
  • 53% of the emergency department-treated injuries were burns. Burns were the most common injury to all parts of the body.
  • There were an estimated 1,200 ER-treated injuries associated with sparklers and 800 injuries due to firecrackers.
  • There were 8 reported fireworks-related deaths in 2017.

Please be careful, and enjoy the holiday!