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SLUCare opthalmologist says despite warnings, fireworks continue to maim children. Think Sparklers Are Safe? Think Again, Says SLUCare Opthalmologist ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), June 24, 2001 - Oscar Cruz, M.D., chairman and associate professor of pediatric ophthalmology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, will never forget his first year as a resident in ophthalmology. He was on call during the Fourth of July weekend when a 10-year-old boy was brought in with a bottle rocket injury to his face. The bottle rocket caused a traumatic cataract in the boy's left eye, and the damage was irreparable. He was declared legally blind. Ever since then, Dr. Cruz doesn't look forward to working during the July 4 holiday. "It was very difficult to see this young boy lose something as precious as his sight to an accident that could so easily have been prevented," said Dr. Cruz, who helped the American Academy of Ophthalmology draft this year's fireworks eye safety message. "Every year we try to educate the public. We tell parents not to let their children handle fireworks. We tell people not to touch fireworks that don't explode properly. But the numbers tell us that people just aren't heeding the message." Here are some of the numbers Cruz is talking about: Fireworks caused 19 deaths in the first 10 months of last year. Of the approximately 12,000 fireworks-related injuries each year in the United States, about 2,400 are eye injuries. Ten percent of children injured by fireworks suffer permanent damage, such as the loss of an eye, finger or hand. Almost one in 20 victims lose all useful vision or require removal of an eye. Three-fourths of all fireworks-related eye injuries are to boys between the ages of 13 and 15. Bottle rockets are the most dangerous type of firework because they fly erratically, causing bystander injuries. Twenty-five states have banned bottle rockets but they are still legal in Missouri. Dr. Cruz said even fireworks that some might consider rather innocent, such as sparklers, can cause debilitating eye injuries. "Sparklers burn at up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to melt gold," Dr. Cruz said. "You put that in the hands of a child, and you're asking for trouble. If one little spark lands in their eye, you've got permanent damage. Sure, sparklers are pretty, but it's just not worth the chance." Sparklers account for three-quarters of all fireworks injuries to children under the age of 5. Dr. Cruz offers the following tips for a safe Fourth of July: Leave fireworks to the professionals. Rather than entertaining your family in the back yard with consumer fireworks, such as firecrackers, sky rockets and helicopter-type rockets, go only to public displays. View public fireworks displays from at least 500 feet away. Respect the safety barriers set up by the pyrotechnicians. Do not touch unexploded fireworks. Never let a child touch or light fireworks of any kind. Archived Stories: Four-day Local Pollen Forecast Desktop Tool Helps Allergy Suffers Electronic Meal and Health Management Tool The SLFP.com - Community Info is presented in conjunction with the St. Louis Front Page and Southwest Illinois News. The sites are owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .