Fireworks Victims in the News
Around the New Year, there were once again many news reports about fireworks-related injuries. Fortunately, there is also a growing call to ban the use of consumer fireworks. We’ve compiled a list of news reports about fireworks-related injuries for you:
New figures from the Dutch Ophthalmological Society show that at least 156 people have suffered eye injuries. Last year, that number was 133. One-third have suffered permanent injuries, and fireworks have also caused blindness, including in a child under the age of twelve. Ophthalmologists treated 46 children under the age of 18; 19 of them were younger than 12. These figures may still rise.
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2023 had only been underway for a few minutes when things went horribly wrong for Martijn Goosen. He was setting off fireworks right in front of his house in Wormer with his girlfriend’s 15-year-old son. He was focused on the boy’s safety, but in doing so, he made a mistake himself. A firework hits him right in the eye. The incident has changed his perspective on setting off fireworks: “I now understand that it can happen to anyone, not just people who take risks.”
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Shortly after midnight in 2023, things went horribly wrong for Bart (26) from Wierden. A firework shell struck him squarely in the face, causing him to lose his right eye. Exactly one year after the accident, he looks back: “I’m back to my old self!”
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They want to ring in the new year in style on New Year’s Eve: Tim, his wife Sanne, and their two young children. But things go horribly wrong. When Tim lights some fireworks in front of their house in Sneek, they explode in his face almost immediately. The 31-year-old father loses both his eyes and is in the intensive care unit.
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Sign the Fireworks Manifesto
The Fireworks Manifesto, launched in 2014, advocates for the abolition of consumer fireworks. New Year’s Eve isn’t a celebration for everyone. Eye injuries, noise pollution, frightened (assistance) dogs, respiratory problems caused by particulate matter, and millions of euros in societal damage are still far from uncommon. According to the manifesto, fireworks displays put on by professionals are the alternative.
