The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) wants Fourth of July revelers to enjoy the colors, sounds and excitement of the upcoming fireworks season, without injury. Too often, there are injuries. For example, Americans purchased more than 212 million pounds of fireworks in 2011, up from 184.4 million pounds in 2010, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates the following:
- There were more than 18,700 injuries caused by fireworks in 2012, including 7,332 emergency department visits.
- Thirty-six percent of the estimated emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries in 2011 were individuals younger than age 20.
- The parts of the body most often injured were hands and fingers (46 percent of injuries); eyes (17 percent); head, face and ears (17 percent); and legs (11 percent).
- More than half of the emergency department-treated, fireworks-related injuries were burns.
- There were 1,100 emergency department-treated injuries associated with sparklers and 300 with bottle rockets.
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