Prevent Blindness Urges Public to Celebrate Independence Day
Safely by Avoiding Fireworks, Attending Authorized Displays by
Professionals
CHICAGO, June 25,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Prevent Blindness, the
nation's leading nonprofit eye health and safety organization, has
declared June 28-July 4, 2024, as the
Fourth Annual Fireworks Safety Awareness Week in an effort to
educate the public on the dangers of fireworks. According to the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) "2023 Fireworks
Annual Report," fireworks devices were involved in an estimated
6,400 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments
around the Independence Day holiday, June
16-July 16, 2023.
"The Fourth of July should be a day spent
celebrating with family and friends, not in an emergency room,"
said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of
Prevent Blindness. "Leave the fireworks to the professionals, and
remember to stay vigilant, even during authorized fireworks
displays."
The CPSC also reported that there were 8 non-occupational,
fireworks-related deaths during 2023. Five of the deaths were
associated with firework misuse; two deaths were associated with a
device misfire/malfunction; and the circumstances surrounding one
incident are unknown.
The CPSC 2023 Fireworks Annual Report also found that:
- The parts of the body most often
injured were hands and fingers (an estimated 35 percent of the
treated injuries); followed by the head, face, and ears (an
estimated 22 percent); eyes (an estimated 19 percent); trunk/other
regions (an estimated 11 percent); legs (an estimated 8 percent);
and arms (an estimated 5 percent).
To help educate the public on the dangers of fireworks, Prevent
Blindness offers a dedicated webpage,
https://preventblindness.org/fireworks, free downloadable fact
sheets and shareable social media graphics. For families, Prevent
Blindness offers creative fireworks alternatives for safe
celebrations.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that a recent study
showed that 65 percent of people injured by fireworks are
bystanders. Even those attending professional displays should be
cautious to avoid serious firework injuries.
"The Fourth of July should be a day spent celebrating with
family and friends, not in an emergency room," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent
Blindness. "Leave the fireworks to the professionals, and remember
to stay vigilant, even during authorized fireworks displays."
For more information on the dangers of fireworks or for ideas on
how to celebrate safely without fireworks, visit
https://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, visit us at PreventBlindness.org, and follow us on
Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Media Contact
Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness,
312.363.6035, shecker@PreventBlindness.org,
PreventBlindness.org
Twitter
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SOURCE Prevent Blindness