Earlier this week, the CPSC published its annual report documenting the reported deaths and injuries secondary to the use of fireworks in the last year. Given the inherently dangerous nature of these products, the CPSC does not operate alone in trying to regulate their use; to the contrary, the CPSC works jointly with several other governmental agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fireworks, and Explosives; the Department of Transportation; and the Department of Justice.
The report contains some absolutely frightening statistics: in 2012 alone, six men who were reportedly killed by firework devices - and that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Nearly 9,000 people required emergency room treatment for fireworks-related injuries last year.
Not suprisingly, more than half of these injuries were reported during the month surrounding July 4. Interestingly - and importantly - more than 10% of the fireworks-related injuries resulted from the incorrect use or malfunction of "children's fireworks," such as bottle rockets and sparklers.
Here's one final, critical fact to bear in mind: while many of the fireworks-related injuries were temporary, many were permanent.
