DOH launches positive campaign to curb firecracker injuries
MANILA, Philippines —Veering away from the grisly images of past anti-fireworks campaigns, the Department of Health is taking on a positive campaign to curb injuries during the holiday revelry.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona on Thursday announced the DOH’s firework-related injury reduction campaign “Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction” or “APIR (Give me five)”.
He said that the “strategy this year is to be positive,” with the image of “a complete set of fingers… (representing) our five reminders to prevent injury and five suggestions to keep safe while celebrating the holidays.”
The DOH changed the strategy after seeing that “the number of cases (of injuries) between 2009 and 2010 decreased by a mere 1.4 percent,” the health chief explained. “We are aiming for much better results in 2011.”
To prevent harm and injury during the holidays, especially on New Year, the DOH reminded the public that:
1) Fireworks cause injuries and endanger their health;
2) Children should not be allowed to use fireworks;
3) They should keep safe and away from those using fireworks;
4) They should never pick used fireworks; and
5) Seek immediate medical treatment for all firework injuries.
The DOH said Filipinos could enjoy the holidays without suffering from firework-related injuries by:
1) Promoting and participating in the community fireworks display in your area;
2) Celebrating a safe holiday with family and loved ones;
3) Using alternative noise-makers to welcome the New Year like car horns, cans, pots and pans, or the radio;
4) Joining merry-making activities such as street parties, concerts, games; and
5) Using the time to reflect on the past year and making resolutions for a better 2012.
Ona urged the public to push for the creation of Community Fireworks Displays, which assigns a specific area in a community where residents may use or watch fireworks displays.
Having these community displays would ensure the safe and responsible use of fireworks in each community, he said, with the ideal locations of the displays having adequate buffer zones to prevent accidents.
He encouraged communities to pool their resources to create displays, saying that together they may be able to purchase fireworks of better quality than what they would be able to buy individually.
According to data from the DOH, most victims of firecracker accidents belong to the 1 to 10 years old age group (330 cases, 34 percent), followed by the 11 to 20 years age group.
Cases of injuries peak from December 31 to January 1, the DOH said, with most injuries being caused by piccolo, kwitis, five star, pla-pla, and luces.
Records showed that 79 percent of the injuries sustained fell under blast injuries without amputation, 15 percent were eye injuries, while six percent were blast injuries with amputation.
A total of 1,022 cases were recorded by the DOH from 21 December 2010 to 5 January 2011, of which 972 were fireworks-related, 39 were due to stray bullets, and 11 were from ingestion of fireworks.
The National Capital Region had the biggest share of injuries with 581 cases, followed by Ilocos Region which had 73 cases, Central Luzon and CALABARZON both with 66 cases, and the Western Visayas with 65 cases.
Ona reminded the public that injuries could be prevented and that “we can always make our holidays fun-filled, exciting, and safe.”
