JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — First responders are reminding parents nationwide of the importance of fireworks safety following an uptick in childhood injuries related to sparklers.
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Experts are warning parents to watch their children and take extra caution specifically when it comes to sparklers this July 4, as sparklers are very popular with kids. Sparklers look pretty, but they burn fast and hot, reaching around 2,000 degrees. Needless to say, temperatures that high can cause third-degree burns if people aren’t careful.
New data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that sparklers were associated with an estimated 600 emergency department-treated injuries last year.
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A Mott poll conducted last year shows that 63% of parents of children ages 6 to 10 and 38% of parents with children ages 3 to 5 have celebrations that include sparklers.
The chair of CPSC, Alex Hoehn-Saric, explained why sparklers are such a hazard to our children.
“It is the number one cause of injury for children under 5 when it comes to fireworks,” he said. “Some of the burns that we see are horrific, and so it’s really important to keep them out of the hands of children. Any fireworks but particularly sparklers [are dangerous.]”
CPSC said that if you’re going to let your kids hold sparklers for the 4th of July or any day, make sure they hold them at arm’s length and only hold one sparkler at a time.
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