As firework laws are relaxed, injuries increase
By Janissa Delzo, CNN
Fireworks are synonymous with Fourth of July celebrations. But as entertaining as sparklers, bottle rockets and other consumer items can be, they’re also responsible for many injuries, which can sometimes result in death.
These injuries, particularly burns requiring hospital stays, are especially high among people 20 and younger, according to new research.
As states have relaxed laws related to fireworks sales over the past decade, emergency doctors saw an increase in the number and severity of fireworks-related injuries among young people, the data show.
They determined that the number of patients under age 21 treated and released by emergency departments between 2006 and 2012 rose modestly: from 4.28 per 100,000 people in 2006 to 5.12 in 2012. Significantly larger increases were seen in injuries requiring inpatient hospital admission, which skyrocketed from 29 percent of cases in 2006 to 50 percent in 2012.
