Every year, Americans express their patriotism on Independence Day and celebrate other festive occasions with fireworks. As a result, approximately 12,446 individuals, over half of them children, have fireworks-related injuries that require hospital treatment.1 In 1988, it is estimated that 20 people died as a direct result of injuries cased by fireworks or the fires they caused.2 The hands (32%), head (18%), legs (15%), and eyes (14%) are the body parts most often involved, accounting for about 80% of all fireworks-related injuries.3

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