JULY is a time of fun, remembrance and celebration for many Americans. Friends and family gather together to enjoy early morning parades, backyard barbecues, and nighttime fireworks.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), each year thousands of people are injured by fireworks during the months of June and July. Almost
1/2 of those injured are
children and especially teenagers.
The typical victim is an unsupervised teen, at home, with a group of friends, playing with fireworks. The chances are one of them will end up in the emergency room with an injury. One in six of the injuries reported in 2013 were eye-related.
Fireworks can cause devastating and life-changing injuries that range from skin burns and thermal burns of the eye to bleeding in the eye, retinal detachment, and even a ruptured globe and blindness.
