In 2001, four persons died and an estimated 9,500 were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries in the United States (Greene 2002).
An estimated 12% of fireworks-related injuries treated in emergency departments required hospitalization (Greene 2002).
Who is most likely to be injured?
About 50% of persons injured from fireworks are children ages 14 years and younger (Greene 2002).
Males represent 75% of all injuries (Greene 2002).
Children ages 10 to 14 years have the highest injury rate for fireworks-related injuries (Greene 2002).
Persons who are actively participating in fireworks-related activities are more frequently injured, and sustain more severe injuries, than bystanders (Smith 1996).
How and why do these injuries occur?
Availability: In spite of federal regulations and varying state prohibitions, "class C" and "class B" fireworks are often accessible by the public. It is not uncommon to find fireworks distributors near state borders, where residents of states with strict fireworks regulations can take advantage of more lenient state laws.
Fireworks type: Among "class C" fireworks, which are sold legally in some states, bottle rockets can fly into one's face and cause eye injuries; sparklers can ignite one's clothing (sparklers burn at more than 1,000oF) and firecrackers can injure one's hands or face if they explode at close range (U.S. CPSC 1996).
Being too close: Injuries may result from being too close to fireworks when they explode; for example, when someone bends over to look more closely at a firework that has been ignited, or when a misguided bottle rocket hits a nearby person (U.S. CPSC 1996).
Unsupervised use: One study estimates that children are 11 times more likely to be injured by fireworks if they are unsupervised (U.S. CPSC 1996).
Lack of physical coordination: Younger children often lack the physical coordination to handle fireworks safely.
Curiosity: Children are often excited and curious around fireworks, which can increase their chances of being injured (e.g., when they re-examine a firecracker dud that initially fails to ignite) (U.S. CPSC 1996).
Experimentation: Homemade fireworks (e.g., ones made of the powder from several firecrackers) can lead to dangerous explosions (U.S. CPSC 1996).
