Fewer injuries, but…

In several hours, we will be ringing in a new year—and a new century—undoubtedly with fanfare, revelry and noisemaking to ward off evil and welcome the good.

Unfortunately, year in and year out, ‍‍the practice of welcoming the New Year with fire and fury—literally with powerful ‍‍ firecrackers—land many Filipinos in the ‍‍Department of Health’s (DOH) annual ‍‍monitoring of victims of firecracker-related injuries.

Even before the New Year countdown, 19 ‍‍people already fell victim to firecracker injuries from Dec. 21 to 26, including a 4-year-old girl ‍‍from Cagayan Valley and a 7-year-old boy from General Trias, Cavite, whose fingers had to be ‍‍amputated. The other victims sustained eye ‍‍and other injuries.

The cuplrits—the so-called Baby Rocket, Boga, Kalburo, Kwitis, Luces, Bamboo Cannon, Fountain, Mini Bomb and Piccolo firecrackers.

The silver lining is that in the last few years, the number of victims of firecrackers, pyrotechnics and fireworks has been going down.

According to the DOH’s Fireworks-Related Injury Surveillance, which tracks injuries caused by firecrackers from Dec. 21, 2018 to Jan. 2, 2019, the number of injuries in 2019 dropped by 52 percent, with 236 cases compared to 492 cases in 2018. This year’s statistics are also 71 percent lower than the five-year average of 814 (from 2014 to 2018).

Still, 236 injured persons in 2019 are still quite a lot. Of that number, 98 sustained their firecracker-related injuries in the peak celebration hours of Jan. 1 to early morning of Jan. 2, when people should be getting all the right positive vibes to hopefully carry them through the whole year.

Obviously, the zero-casualty campaign of the DOH and the Philippine National Police will not be achieved yet again, largely due to many revelers’ devil-may-care attitude when it comes to ringing in the New Year. Certainly, authorities have not been wanting in reminding one and all about the perils of lighting up firecrackers. Aside from the obvious risk to one’s life and limbs, the use of prohibited firecrackers also carries a fine ‍‍of P20,000-P30,000, and can land one in jail for ‍‍up to one year. Of course, there are always those who try to circumvent the laws by changing ‍‍the names of their deadly wares or shifting to online selling.

Since regulations have been laid down, and the authorities have been active in campaigning against the use of these harmful devices, it falls on citizens to heed the official warnings—and plain common sense—to stay safe. In 2017, the DOH appealed to parents and guardians to monitor their children closely, following findings that the majority of the victims are 15 years old and below. “Injuries due to firecrackers are preventable if only elders will be extra-vigilant in keeping a watchful eye on their children,’’ Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that year, when Piccolo, Boga, Kwitis and Whistle Bomb were reported as the top injury-causing fireworks.

When are we ever going to learn from the yearly trauma of severed limbs, disfigured bodies, or lives senselessly lost? Let the countdown for 2020 be a noisy but safe celebration of good health, sound mind and body, and joyous spirit. Stay away from firecrackers—it’s the law. Have a safe and happy New Year!