Posted on: Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Study reports Hawaii injuries from fireworks on the rise
By Gordon Y.K. Pang and Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writers
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Advertiser Library Photo
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SALE AND USE OF FIREWORKS ON O'AHU
When can I buy fireworks? From Dec. 26 until midnight on Dec. 31. When can I set off fireworks? From 9 p.m. on Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. on Jan. 1. Can I just go to a store and buy fireworks? You do not need a permit to buy novelty fireworks, such as sparklers and small fountains. The law requires a permit to purchase firecrackers. The permit may be obtained at any satellite city hall for a $25 fee and allows you to purchase 5,000 firecrackers. Multiple permits may be purchased. For locations and hours of satellite city halls, contact the Department of Customer Services at 768-3798. Are aerial fireworks allowed? Only if you have a display permit obtained from the fire chief. Where can I buy fireworks? Fireworks can be bought only at licensed retail sites. Retail licenses should be prominently displayed in public view.
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NEW YEAR’S EVE PUBLIC FIREWORKS DISPLAYS
Location, Time Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, 7 p.m. Ihilani Resort & Spa, Midnight Halekulani Hotel (offshore), Midnight Aloha Tower Marketplace, Midnight
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AIR QUALITY CONCERNS
The O'ahu weather forecast on New Year's Eve is for light to moderate winds from the east with an increased chance of volcanic haze, known as vog in the Islands. Those conditions, added to the usual New Year's Eve eruption of fireworks, could mean trouble for residents with impaired breathing function. An estimated 154,000 Hawai'i residents suffer from some form of impaired lung function. If you have difficulty breathing: Remain indoors. Close windows and doors. Avoid physical exertion. Get plenty of rest. Wear a paper, surgical gauze or nontoxic dust mask if it helps, but note that some people find it more difficult to breathe with a mask on. If that is the case, do not use it; a mask is the least important of these suggestions. Keep medications needed for an acute episode readily available. If medications aren't at hand but might be needed, consult a physician. Instructions from a physician should be handy in the event a lung condition suddenly worsens.Source: American Lung Association of Hawaii
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FIREWORKS SAFETY TIPS
Use only approved fireworks from a licensed retail outlet that posts its retail license. Read and follow warnings and instructions listed by the manufacturer for the safe handling and use of fireworks. Have a garden hose or a bucket of water ready in the event of a fire. Never point or throw fireworks at a person, building, or animal. Light fireworks only on a smooth, flat surface away from buildings, dry vegetation and flammable materials. Never shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers. Adults should supervise children using fireworks, including sparklers. Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Always wear eye protection when lighting fireworks. When lighting fireworks, never position any part of your body over them. Do not attempt to relight malfunctioning fireworks. Store fireworks in a cool, dry place. Never carry fireworks in your pocket. Do not experiment with homemade fireworks. Do not ignite fireworks indoors.Source: Honolulu Fire Department
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NOT ALLOWED
It is unlawful to: Remove or extract pyrotechnic contents. Throw ignited fireworks from a moving vehicle. Set off fireworks in the vicinity of healthcare facilities or facilities for the care of animals. Set off fireworks by schools. Set off fireworks on public ways, in parks, cane fields or places of worship. Set off, ignite, discharge, or otherwise explode any fireworks within 500 feet from any hotel, which includes all of Waikiki, unless a permit has been issued to allow it. Offer for sale, sell, or give any fireworks to minors. Parents or guardians may allow a minor to use fireworks only while under the immediate supervision and control of an adult. Possess or use aerial fireworks unless the Honolulu Fire Department chief issues a display permit per Hawai'i Revised Statutes Chapter 132D.
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The number of people going to hospitals with injuries from New Year's Eve fireworks has been increasing statewide in recent years, according to an eight-year study released by the Injury Prevention Program of the state Department of Health.
A total of 105 injuries were treated at emergency rooms statewide during the 2008 New Year's celebrations, up 14 percent from the previous year and the second-highest total in eight years.
Two-thirds of the victims were younger than 18.
Honolulu recorded 92 emergency room visits during the three-day 2008 New Year's holiday, which tied the highest number in the seven preceding years.
Of those seen for fireworks-related injuries state-wide last year, 93 percent were burn-related. Four of those visiting hospitals were admitted while 96 percent were treated and released.
The most common injuries, about 70 percent, were injuries to the hands and fingers followed by burns to the head, face and legs.
About 85 percent of those injured suffered their wounds while setting off or holding fireworks. The remaining 15 percent were watching.
While injuries are on the way up, the number of permits issued is declining. Honolulu Fire Capt. Terry Seelig said 8,367 permits were issued as of Dec. 27, 2006, and 6,598 were issued by the same date last year.
This year, the number dropped even further. As of Saturday, 3,981 firecracker permits had been issued. Each $25 permit allows a person to purchase up to 5,000 firecrackers. A person can purchase multiple permits.
Seelig said the fireworks-related injury numbers reinforce the need for the public to follow the rules about using fireworks.
"There is an intrinsic risk in using firecrackers or fireworks, and you minimize that risk if you use them properly," Seelig said.
He also encouraged people to attend one of the four fireworks displays put on by professionals rather than set off their own.
"They're much, much better than anything you can put together yourself, or imagine," Seelig said.
HFD continues to seek an islandwide ban on all fireworks, especially during the Fourth of July, which is in the middle of the dry season.
The Honolulu Police Department received 350 fireworks-related complaints as of Sunday. Last year, between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, HPD received 1,560 fireworks-related complains.
Police Maj. Frank Fujii urged adults to supervise their children if they're setting off fireworks and to stay off the roads.
"Nothing spoils a holiday quicker than somebody getting hurt," he said.
"You need to teach your children to obey every law that's out there, whether you agree with it or not."
Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Department of Emergency Services, said paramedics responded to three calls for fireworks burns last New Year's, only one critical.
That's compared with the previous year when paramedics responded to seven calls, two of which resulted in people being sent to the hospital.
The discrepancy with the Health Department statistics would appear to be because of a large number of people injured by fireworks who went to emergency rooms on their own.
Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com and Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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