Independence Day Celebrations without Eye Injury
Attend Public Firework Displays
The physicians and staff of Retina Specialists of Alabama wish
you and your family a happy 4th of July --but most importantly,
a safe one! The links to the left are offered to provide you
with sources of information intended to help you choose a holiday
without injury. The United States Eye Injury Registry, USEIR,
has shown that while no one, no matter how old or how young, is
exempt from firework injury, it is most often young males under
the age of 16 who are injured. USEIR has also seen that there is
no type of firework, even class C so called "safe"
consumer fireworks (includes sparklers), that has not been named
as the source of eye injury. The class C type bottle rocket is the
most dangerous. It causes the majority of firework related ocular
trauma and it causes the most devastating injuries. Bottle rocket
injuries often result in loss of vision and loss of the eye in some
cases. Remarkably, non-participants, those who are merely
in the presence of others using home consumer fireworks, represent
half of all reported firework injuries.
The links to the left do provide some suggestions for avoiding
injury when using home fireworks during the 4th, the time most frequently
associated with injury, but why risk your vision, the future of
your children. Join with Dr. Robert Morris, Dr. Doug Witherspoon,
Dr. Wayne Taylor, Dr. Jim Kimble, and everyone at Retina Specialists
of Alabama, the United States Eye Injury Registry, Dr. Ferenc Kuhn,
the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Prevent Blindness America,
National Fire Protection Association, Fire Marshals Association
of North America, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well
as ten states in saying no to bottle rockets and yes to public displays.
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Statement
rev.June
2003
E-Mail
Margaret Harrill
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