Looking ahead to the Fourth of July, Prevent Blindness, the nation's oldest eye health and safety nonprofit organization, is working to educate the public on the dangers of consumer fireworks.
The latest annual report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that of the 12,900 annual total fireworks-related injuries treated in an emergency room, an estimated 8,700 occurred around the Fourth of July period.
Prevent Blindness urges all consumers, especially children, to celebrate the holiday safely without using fireworks. The public is also urged to attend only licensed displays manned by professionals in celebration of Independence Day, as opposed to using consumer fireworks.
Prevent Blindness also emphasizes that those who attend professional displays must still be cautious, as accidents and injuries may also occur due to the erratic or unpredictable nature of fireworks. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that those who are attending or live near a professional fireworks show respect safety barriers, follow all safety instructions, and view fireworks from at least 500 feet away. Also, people should not touch unexploded fireworks; instead, they should immediately contact local fire or police departments to help.
More details are available at http://www.preventblindness.org/prevent-eye-injuries-fireworks and http://www.preventblindness.org/celebrate-independence-day-safely-without-using-fireworks.
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