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Prevent Blindness urges the public to celebrate the 4th of July safely this year and avoid using fireworks.

CHICAGO (PRWEB) June 17, 2020

Every year, thousands of Americans are injured due to fireworks, specifically during the 4th of July holiday period. And, according to a recent study, Assessment of Firework-Related Ocular Injury in the US in JAMA Ophthalmology, more than 34,000 firework-related ocular injuries were seen in U.S. emergency departments during the 19-year study period. Ocular burns were the most frequent type of eye injury from fireworks, and bottle rockets were a common firework type that disproportionally caused serious ocular injury, including ruptured globe.

Prevent Blindness, the nations oldest volunteer eye health and safety non-profit organization, urges all consumers to celebrate the holiday safely without using fireworks. Children are at higher risk for injuries from fireworks. The most recent report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that children 10 to 14 years of age had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries, while older teens, 15 to 19 years of age, had the second highest estimated rate.

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, Massachusetts is the only state that bans all consumer fireworks, while Illinois, Ohio and Vermont allow only wire or wood stick sparklers and other novelty items. Across the country, many ordinances vary within each state and between different municipalities.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many public displays of fireworks have been cancelled. For those that are still being held, Prevent Blindness warns that anyone who attends a professional display must still be cautious, as accidents and injuries may also occur due to the erratic or unpredictable nature of fireworks.

Prevent Blindness offers alternative ideas to celebrate the holiday safely:

There are so many ways for families to celebrate Independence Day safely without using fireworks, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. We urge everyone to avoid fireworks and spend the 4th of July with family and friends, instead of in the emergency room.

For more information on the dangers of fireworks, please call Prevent Blindness at (800) 331-2020, or visit http://www.PreventBlindness.org/fireworks.

About Prevent Blindness Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at http://www.preventblindness.org or facebook.com/preventblindness.

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Prevent Blindness Warns Public About the Impact of Firework Injuries to Healthy Eyesight - PR Web

This entry was posted on June 22, 2020 at 5:45 am and is filed under Blindness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |