Jameson Lamb of Homewood-Flossmoor was only 16 when a Roman candle took out his right eye.
As Fourth of July approaches, the Northwestern University student is offering a warning to everyone who plans to use fireworks this Independence Day.
“I can tell you from my own experience, it’s not worth the risk,” says Lamb, now 19. “Be safe this Fourth. If you do fireworks at home, wear eye protection. Better yet, go to a professional show. It’s safer. Whatever you do, please don’t let kids play with fireworks.”
To help prevent more tragic firework injuries like Jameson’s, the American Academy of Ophthalmology conducted a fireworks safety survey this year with Harris Poll. Among the findings released last week are:
• 33 percent of Americans know someone injured by fireworks or have been injured themselves
• 20 percent of people in the Midwest say they plan to use fireworks at home, a neighbor’s, or a friend’s this Fourth of July.
• Nearly 60 percent of adults polled in the Midwest — the highest of any area in the U.S. — say it’s OK for children age 5 to 10 to play with sparklers. But only 10 percent of Americans say it’s OK for kids of that age to handle birthday candles. Sparklers can burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and routinely cause the most injuries of any firework, according to the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission.
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