Lost fingers the price for firecracker thrill

Now that he's got only two fingers left on his right hand, Jonro Roma is sticking to a good old plastic trumpet when he joins the New Year’s Eve revelry on Thursday evening. "Torotot na lang (I'll just use a plastic trumpet)," the young man from Tondo said, several days after he lost three fingers from a giant firecracker that exploded too soon. Just before Christmas, a triangular firecracker called regalo (“gift") blew up in his hand. Jonro is one of the more than 150 individuals who have sustained injuries from firecrackers even before the New Year celebration, when in the Philippine tradition, the public celebrates with deafening festivities. [See: Two-month-old baby among hundreds injured by firecrackers, DOH says] The Department of Health has already reported nine percent more injuries this year than last.
As of December 29, there were already 165 victims of firecracker accidents recorded, with 43 percent or almost half of them below 10 years old. Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, head of the Department of Health's National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (DOH-NCDPC), said the figure even includes a two-month-old baby who sustained mild burns after firecrackers exploded nearby. DOH officials said children are most at risk, as they are both incapable of handling firecrackers properly and are also less able to protect themselves when others around them use firecrackers. At the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, the majority of the 29 people injured by firecrackers since December 21 were children. The same goes for the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City, where 16 out of the 19 cases since December 21 are minors. A fourteen-year-old boy in East Avenue even had to have the tip of one thumb amputated after sustaining injuries from a “whistle bomb," a powerful firecracker that makes a whistling sound before it explodes. Oliveros said that among those injured from firecrackers this year, the median age is 14. Young kids and teenagers are the most curious about firecrackers, so it is imperative that parents are responsible enough not to let their children light firecrackers or to use firecrackers around children, she said. "Hindi pa rin nagrerespond yung ating mga parents sa panawagan natin na bantayan yung mga anak nila (Parents have not yet responded to our call for them to strictly watch their children)," Oliveros told GMANews.TV in a phone interview, as she noted that the 165 cases from December 22 to December 29 of this year was nine percent higher compared to the same period in 2008. The most common culprit for firecracker injuries this year and in the past year is the “piccolo," a small firecracker lit like a matchstick, according to the DOH. Despite being one of the many firecrackers banned by the department, it continues to be widely-used because it is cheap and easy to ignite. "Parang matchbox sinisindihan (It's lit up just like a matchbox)," Oliveros said. She said the piccolo becomes dangerous when those who use it – mostly kids – fail to toss the firecracker away as soon as they ignite it. "Minsan, bigla na lang sumasabog dahil sa standard ng piccolo (Sometimes it just explodes because of the low standard of the piccolo)," she added. At the East Avenue Medical Center, 13 out of the 19 cases as of Wednesday were due to piccolo explosions, with the youngest only four years old. The majority of these victims sustained mild blast injuries that, fortunately, did not result in amputation. Dr. Daryl Zorilla, a surgical resident at the hospital, said most of the victims were active users of firecrackers. But it is not only the cheap, colorful piccolo that can harm young kids. Watusi (“dancing firecrackers") – another cheap, half-matchstick-sized firecracker that makes tiny crackling explosions when scratched on a rough surface – poses more dangers than the normal burns or blast injuries caused by other firecrackers because of its candy-like red color and appealing scent. Children sometimes eat it, which leads to poisoning. "Sabi nila, medyo matamis daw yung watusi. So baka akala ng mga bata, candy (People say that watusi is rather sweet, so perhaps kids think it's candy)," Oliveros said. Even the pretty luces or sparklers – which are commonly used by those who dislike explosive firecrackers – can harm, the DOH warned. Luces were the fourth on the list of the top five firecrackers that caused the most injuries in 2008. Luces cause burns when random sparks land on the skin, and can even get into one's eyes, Oliveros said. She added, "May mga luces na substandard ang pagkakagawa na pumuputok. Supposedly nagla-light lang siya e (There are substandard luces that explode. Supposedly it's just supposed to light up)." DOH officials are steadfast in their campaign against all types of firecrackers. Oliveros said that aside from burns and blast injuries which can cause major or even fatal injuries, chemical smoke from firecracker use can also trigger asthma attacks and other irritations. "As far as the DOH is concerned, there are no safe firecrackers," she added. – JV/HS, GMANews.TV