LEAVE FIREWORKS TO THE PROFESSIONALS
THIS FOURTH OF JULY
~ American Academy
of Ophthalmology Offers Tips for Fireworks Eye Safety
~
June 2011
(June, 2011, San Francisco,
CA) - Each Fourth of July, thousands of people are injured
from using consumer fireworks. In fact, according to
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than
9,000 fireworks-related injuries happen each year. Of
these, nearly half are head-related injuries with nearly
30 percent of these injuries to the eyes. One-fourth
of fireworks eye injuries result in permanent vision
loss or blindness.
The rockets fly erratically,
often injuring bystanders. Injuries from bottle rockets
can include eye lid lacerations, corneal abrasions,
traumatic cataract, retinal detachment, optic nerve
damage, rupture of the eyeball, eye muscle damage, and
complete blindness. July is Fireworks Eye Safety Awareness
Month, and through its EyeSmart™ campaign the American
Academy of Ophthalmology wants to remind consumers to
leave fireworks to professionals.
For a safe and healthy Independence
Day celebration, the Academy urges observance of the
following tips:
-
Never let children play with fireworks of any
type;
-
View fireworks from a safe distance - at least
500 feet away, or up to a quarter of a mile for
best viewing;
-
Respect safety barriers set up to allow pyrotechnicians
to do their jobs safely;
-
Leave the lighting of fireworks to trained professionals;
-
Follow directives given by event ushers or public
safety personnel;
-
If you find unexploded fireworks remains, do not
touch them and immediately contact your local fire
or police departments; and
-
If you get an eye injury from fireworks, seek
medical help immediately.
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