It’s that time again when Americans across the nation gather to celebrate the Fourth of July with family, friends, and fireworks, but keep safety a priority for a fun holiday with the kids. This year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that children under 15 years accounted for 31% of the 9,700 estimated fireworks-related injuries sustained in 2023. The agency also saw that the second highest estimated rate of fireworks-related emergency department treated injuries was among children aged 5 to 9 years. This same group also saw a slight increase in rates of injuries from 2022 to 2023 from 3.0 to 4.0 injuries per 100,000 children. Two children, a 17 year old and a 15 year old, were also reported to have died due to fireworks.
To prevent injuries this year, follow these tips and celebrate safely:
- Keep the holiday fun and safe by leaving any fireworks to trained professionals.
- View fireworks from a safe distance of at least 500 feet away. This will help avoid injuries and protect your child’s hearing. Fireworks and firecrackers can be as loud as 150 decibels and at close distance, even one loud burst is enough to cause some permanent hearing damage.
- If you find any unexploded, “dud,” fireworks, they may still go off. Keep your distance and call your local fire or police department.
- According to the CPSC, nearly half of fireworks injuries to children under age 5 are related to sparklers. Consider waving a flag (or glow stick) instead of a sparkler.
- Practice good fireworks safety with CPSC’s fireworks safety demonstration.
This July 4th, go boom without the boo-boos! Stay updated with KID blogs by subscribing and follow us on all social media platforms @KidsInDanger to stay informed about latest safety tips, recalls, and advocacy efforts.
