How to Chat With Your Children About Fireworks Safety

from Shine Newsletter, Summer 2006

The Fourth of July is just weeks away. If your  children ask about celebrating the festivities with fireworks, what will you tell them?

Children Need to Know Fireworks Aren’t All Fun

Fireworks-related injuries were the cause for nearly 9,600 emergency room visits — 40 percent of which involved children age 15 and younger — in the United States in 2004. Fireworks can inflict burns, eye injuries and even the loss of fingers. The safest way to see fireworks is at a professional display.

Also, only a few types of fireworks are legal for use at home in the state of Colorado, including ground spinners and sparklers. Although they may seem safe, even small fireworks can reach temperatures as high as 1,800 degrees. Sparklers were the cause of nearly half of the 700 fireworks-related injuries that affected children ages 5 and younger in the United States in 2004.

Keep These Tips in Mind When You Use Sparklers or Other Firecrackers:

• Let an adult light fireworks, and light them one at a time.
• Always have a garden hose or bucket of water on hand.
• Keep pets away from fireworks.
• Stay at least 10 feet away from a fireworks display.