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SALT LAKE CITY -- This Fourth of July holiday, industry groups are going head-to-head on fireworks safety. Their recommendations couldn't be more different on how to celebrate and help your family Stay Safe.
A little backyard bash is part of the Independence Day celebration experience. The American Pyrotechnics Association released new statistics that show while use of fireworks has doubled over the past 15 years, injuries have decreased.
Emergency room doctors cite 10,000 firework-related injuries each year, half of them in children. And they're not alone.
A public service announcement from the National Fire Protection Association demonstrates injuries and millions in fire damages that make the risks of personal fireworks too high.
Different conclusions, but they agree on where the real decision and responsibility lies.
"As parents, we're the ones who've gotta govern that control of something safe for kids," Witter said.
"You decide. Don't let an industry group tell you how to take care of your children. You decide what's safe for your children," Pruitt said.
To help parents make that call, here are a few links from the pyrotechnics industry and an alliance aimed at stopping consumer fireworks altogether:
- Information from the National Fire Prevention Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics as part of the Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks
- American Pyrotechnics Association information on injury rates
E-mail: dwimmer@ksl.com
