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Fireworks Injuries More Severe These Days
By: Kevin Willis | Ohio Public Radio • WKYU
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A Kentucky researcher says the injuries children get from fireworks accidents are more severe and require longer hospital stays than a decade ago.
John Myers is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville Medical School.
His research shows that in 2006, about one in four children injured by fireworks had to be admitted to a hospital. Myers explains, “Now it’s half the kids that have an injury, they’re being admitted to the hospital—the injuries are that severe. Now, instead of spending one or two days in the hospital, they’re spending a week, or eight or nine days.”
Myers says in recent years many states in recent years have loosened laws to let children buy fireworks at a younger age. He says several states have also allowed the sale of more powerful fireworks that can cause greater injuries.