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About 25 million pounds of fireworks are sold each year to celebrate America’s birthday, but with those bright celebrations come potentially hidden dangers. In the month around the July Fourth holiday, 65 percent of people on average seek medical treatment every day with fireworks-related injuries, according to a press release.
Sparklers and rockets accounted for more than 40 percent of all fireworks injuries, according to a press release.
The majority of fireworks are still illegal in the state of New York, but a new law permits sparkling devices for use in Putnam and 30 other counties.
The most common fireworks injuries were to hands and fingers -- 36 percent -- but 22 percent of injuries were to heads, faces and ears, and about 16 percent were eye injuries, according to a press release.
Heat stroke also is a concern since body temperatures can rise to 106 degrees in 10-15 minutes, and sweating just isn’t enough to cool down, according to a press release.
Without immediate treatment, heat stroke can cause permanent disability or be fatal.
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