During the New Year, 1,212 fireworks victims were treated by general practitioners and emergency departments of hospitals. That is 3 percent less than last year. However, the severity of the injury is greater, according to figures from the SafetyNL knowledge center. These often involved burns and, more than last year, eye injuries. It is also estimated that more than ten amputations had to be carried out, of one or more fingers.
The share of people who had to be treated at an emergency room after setting off heavy, illegal fireworks increased from 22 percent last year to 29 percent now; Moreover, 17 percent had to be admitted to hospital, compared to 9 percent last year.
Three quarters of the victims are boys or men and, just like last year, more than half of all victims are younger than twenty years old. Many boys aged twelve to fifteen in particular had to be treated this year for injuries caused by illegal fireworks such as mortar bombs, nitrate fireworks and cobras.
“A worrying development,” the researchers write. Their share in the number of victims was 34 percent compared to 13 percent last year. “Much more attention should be paid to this group of young people,” says Martijntje Bakker, director of VeiligheidNL, a knowledge center for injury prevention, which based the figures on registrations from all 81 emergency departments and 86 of the 103 general practitioner emergency posts in the Netherlands.
'Spontaneously sad'
Bakker: “These young people are not allowed to light New Year's Eve fireworks, such as cakes, compound boxes and ground flowers, because they are not yet sixteen years old. They are only allowed to light fireworks that are available all year round, such as sparklers and crackers. But they do have the means to obtain heavy, illegal fireworks. Apparently others drive to Belgium and Germany to get those fireworks for them. We argue for more enforcement and investigation. But we will also have to provide this group with much more information. There are programs aimed at children from the highest groups of primary schools, and also aimed at adults, but this group is missing. We will have to emphasize even more strongly why lighting these fireworks is not allowed.” The importance of this is evident, says Bakker. “I am spontaneously moved when I hear that children suddenly have to miss a hand, or the sight in their eyes for the rest of their lives. Just because of a so-called funny moment during an event that should be a party.”
And what applies to one group of children applies to everyone. Bakker: “It is often said that fireworks are part of New Year's Eve. But that tradition only exists because the Chinese brought fireworks to the Netherlands in the 1970s. It has now gotten to the point where I hear police officers say that they hope they will return home safely after New Year's Eve. Isn't that absurd?”
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Legal fireworks
A significant share of the number of fireworks injuries this year, 28 percent, was also caused by the lighting of legal fireworks, such as cakes and ground flowers. These injuries could often have been prevented, says SafetyNL, if the users had worn fireworks goggles and earmuffs, used a fuse and kept their distance. “That still doesn't happen enough,” says Bakker. It is obvious that the researchers argue for a complete ban on fireworks. Bakker: “We don't do that. We are a knowledge center and not an advisory body. Moreover, there appears to be little political appetite for such a ban. We do point out the effect of measures.” Such as a complete ban on fireworks during two consecutive corona years.
Three years ago, the number of fireworks victims suddenly fell sharply, to only 383 injuries, because a fireworks ban and a ban on gatherings had been announced as part of the corona measures. A year later, 773 people had to be treated in hospitals and GP surgeries, much fewer than usual, but more than the year before because fireworks could still be purchased in Belgium and Germany. Bakker: “If there were such a ban, you would have to regulate it at European level. But that is complicated.”
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