The Miami Valley is currently celebrating the Fourth of July, but setting off fireworks comes with its own set of dangers.
News Center 7’s Nick Foley investigated the recent injury numbers and the warnings local health officials want to share with the public.
In 2021, Ohio passed a law that makes it legal for people 18 and older to set off fireworks if their local municipality allows it. But whether it’s legal or not, fireworks cause thousands of injuries nationwide each year.
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“That’s something that everyone looks forward to and fireworks are traditionally a big part of that. But with that celebration can come dangers and we want to remind people that fireworks are dangerous and that they should be treated as such and that they should take the proper precautions if they choose to set off fireworks,” said Dan Suffoletto, public health spokesman.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 10,000 people were injured by fireworks in 2023 and more than $700,000 in damages were caused last year.
According to the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Health Department, you should never set off fireworks while intoxicated and you should never allow minors to set off fireworks unsupervised.
According to the CPC, the two groups most likely to require emergency care for fireworks accidents are 15 to 19 year olds and 5 to 9 year olds.
“They’re often used in groups, at parties, where there are children around, so you want to protect the children, keep them as far away from the fireworks as possible and make sure you’re using the fireworks responsibly. You also want to make sure you’re using fireworks that are approved for consumer use. So you shouldn’t be using fireworks that are being used under professional supervision,” Suffoletto said.
If you plan on setting off fireworks for the holidays, always have water or a garden hose nearby. Never attempt to relight or handle fireworks that are not working properly, and check with your local government to see if you are allowed to set them off.
