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StumbleUponIf you grew up in a small town, like me, you probably have vivid memories of Fourth of July parades complete with crepe paper floats and baton twirlers; band concerts at the Old Soldier’s Home; and the joys of sending up bottle rockets and waving sparklers through the sultry night air. I can still hear my mom saying, “Don’t drop the hot wires in the grass!” 
This week I’ve been inundated with press releases about fireworks safety. Most of them earnestly (and unrealistically) say things like, “Never allow young children to play with or go near fireworks, including sparklers. They seem harmless but sparklers can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees.”
Well, OK. They also cite this sobering statistic from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
• More than 21,000 fireworks-related injuries were treated in 2007. Children under 17 accounted for approximately 11,000 of those injuries.
Clifford Jones, MD, a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Leadership Fellows Program, says, “If fireworks misfire or explode prematurely, the extreme force can tear or destroy bones, tissue, and nerves, causing permanent damage to the body."
Fair enough. But avoidance is no substitute for learning how to handle fireworks safely. It’s kind of like not teaching your kids about safe sex or birth control.
My brother remembers Dad letting him have some legal fireworks when he was young, like small firecrackers and bottle rockets—especially when we were at the lake. Dad supervised, gleefully teaching him how to light them safely and stay away from dry grass or areas that could burn. For example, he taught us to throw firecrackers underhanded, not overhanded, so they wouldn't explode near an ear or eye. And we couldn't use glass bottles for bottle rockets. Instead, we used a piece of metal pipe, which was fixed in the ground or sand, and aimed the rockets out over the lake.
We all sat together and oohed and ahhed over the whoosh of anticipation, the crackling, popping explosions, and the sparkling lights and colors drifting down and reflecting in the water. No one in our family ever got hurt, and it created some indelible memories.
For some useful tips, visit the National Council on Fireworks Safety website. Have a safe and happy holiday!
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