| Today's Feature Stone’s
Throw "Being Earnest".
Stone’s Throw Dinner
Theatre will present a performance of "The
Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde,
directed by Becki Gooch.
The play has been described as
a "trivial comedy for serious people".
The synopsis is-
In 1890s London, two friends
use the same pseudonym ("Ernest") for
their on-the-sly activities. Hilarity ensues.
Join us as we take a "Steampunk Style"
spin on this Victorian classic by Oscar Wilde.
The cast includes familiar
actors that are veterans of numerous Stone’s
Throw productions and introduces several
newcomers to the stage.
Performances will be at
Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre, 796 S. Stone
Lane, Carthage, MO on June 17-19, and June 25-27.
Thursday-Saturday doors open at
6:00 pm, dinner at 6:30 pm and show begins at
7:30 pm. For Sunday performances, doors open at
12:30pm, dinner at 1:00pm with show beginning at
2:00 pm.
Prices: $22.00 for adults,
$19.00 for seniors over 55, $19.00 for youth
(13-18), $10.00 for children (6-12).
.
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PEDIATRICS:
Fireworks-Related
Injuries to Children
Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention
An estimated 8500 individuals,
approximately 45% of them children younger than
15 years, were treated in US hospital emergency
departments during 1999 for fireworks-related
injuries. The hands (40%), eyes (20%), and head
and face (20%) are the body areas most often
involved. Approximately one third of eye injuries
from fireworks result in permanent blindness.
During 1999, 16 people died as a result of
injuries associated with fireworks. Every type of
legally available consumer (so-called "safe
and sane") firework has been associated with
serious injury or death. In 1997, 20 100 fires
were caused by fireworks, resulting in $22.7
million in direct property damage. Fireworks
typically cause more fires in the United States
on the Fourth of July than all other causes of
fire combined on that day. Pediatricians should
educate parents, children, community leaders, and
others about the dangers of fireworks. Fireworks
for individual private use should be banned.
Children and their families should be encouraged
to enjoy fireworks at public fireworks displays
conducted by professionals rather than purchase
fireworks for home or private use.
OVERVIEW
Fireworks are devices designed
for the purpose of producing a visible or audible
effect by combustion, deflagration, or
detonation.1 Every year, US residents celebrate
the Fourth of July and other festive occasions
with fireworks. As a result, in 1999, an
estimated 8500 individuals, approximately 45% of
them children younger than 15 years, sustained
fireworks-related injuries requiring emergency
medical treatment.2,3 Since 1994, the annual
number of people receiving emergency medical
treatment for fireworks-related injuries has
decreased by about one third.3,4 The hands (40%),
eyes (20%), and head and face (20%) are the body
areas most often involved.2 About one third of
eye injuries from fireworks result in permanent
blindness.5 Burns account for more than half of
fireworks-related injuries,2 and lacerations,
contusions, and abrasions are also common.1,26-8
During 1999, 16 people died as a result of
injuries associated with fireworks.2
Under regulations promulgated
by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) in 1976, any firecracker containing more
than 50 mg of explosive material is banned,
although aerial devices may contain up to 130 mg
of powder charge. In addition, CPSC regulations
include fuse burn time limits, cautionary
labeling requirements, and criteria to prevent
tipover and blowout of devices. Additional
regulations address requirements for certain
reloadable tube and aerial shell fireworks and
the stability of multiple-tube devices.4
Consumer fireworks, formerly
known as "Class C" fireworks and often
inappropriately referred to as "safe and
sane" fireworks, include fountains and
candles that shoot out sparks or flaming balls,
rockets with sticks (called "bottle
rockets," because it is customary to stand
them in a soda bottle for ignition), other
rockets, firecrackers, sparklers, and smoke
devices. These are permitted under federal
regulation, and their sale is regulated by state
and local authorities.7 At present, 10 states ban
all consumer fireworks, and 5 additional states
ban all consumer fireworks except sparklers,
"snakes," or other novelty items.9
In addition to ongoing injury
surveillance, the CPSC conducts a special study
each year of fireworks-related injuries requiring
emergency medical care that occur around the
Fourth of July.2,4,6 The 1999 CPSC study found
that one third of the fireworks-related injuries
were caused by firecrackers, approximately 10% of
which were illegal. Almost 20% of the injuries
were from rockets. Notably, sparklers, which are
mistakenly believed to be safe by many consumers,
caused 10% of these fireworks-related injuries.2
Although most sparkler-related injuries are minor
burns and corneal abrasions, sparklers can reach
temperatures greater than 1000°F at the tip and
can cause serious burns by igniting
clothing.1,5,8 One study found that two thirds of
injuries from sparklers occurred among children 5
years and younger.8 A case-control study designed
to control for the popularity of various devices
found firecrackers and aerial devices to be
associated with the greatest risk of injury. It
also found that the highest chance of injury
requiring hospitalization occurred with illegal
and homemade devices.7 Half of the
fireworks-related eye injuries and an even higher
proportion of those resulting in permanent
blindness or enucleation are caused by bottle
rockets.5 Every type of consumer firework has
been associated with serious injury or death.1,8
Malfunctions of consumer
fireworks account for only a small percentage of
injuries. In one study, the injured child was a
bystander in 26% of cases, and adult supervision
was present in 54% of cases.8 Therefore, not
letting children ignite fireworks and providing
adult supervision while using fireworks are
inadequate injury prevention strategies.
In addition to medical and
related costs directly and indirectly
attributable to fireworks injuries, fireworks
cause significant property damage. In 1997, 20
100 fires, which resulted in $22.7 million in
direct property damage, were caused by
fireworks.10 In a typical year, fireworks cause
more fires in the United States on the Fourth of
July than all other causes of fire combined on
that day.10 The considerable losses of life,
health, and property are almost entirely
preventable by the removal of all fireworks from
the hands of everyone except professional
pyrotechnicians. Injuries resulting from public
fireworks displays are rare. States that ban all
consumer fireworks have significantly lower rates
of fireworks-related injuries and fires.1,5 Where
local jurisdictions ban fireworks, there is
frequent crossover to nearby communities that
permit them, so the effectiveness of such local
regulation is limited.8 Education does not appear
to decrease the rate of injuries in states where
consumer fireworks are permitted.7
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Pediatricians should educate
parents, children, community leaders, and others
about the dangers of fireworks. Children and
their families should be counseled to attend
public fireworks displays rather than purchase
fireworks for home use.
2. Public sales, including
those by mail or Internet order, of all fireworks
should be prohibited. Ideally, this should be
done on a national level by federal law or CPSC
regulation. International importation of
fireworks for private use should also be banned.
Sales to professional pyrotechnicians for the
purpose of creating public displays would be
exempt.
3. The private use of fireworks
should be banned. Pediatricians should work to
increase the number of communities and states
that ban the private use of all fireworks.
4. Accurate surveillance and
reporting of fireworks-related injuries, deaths,
and fires must be continued.
5. Additional research should
be conducted to identify factors that have
contributed to the recent decrease in the number
of fireworks-related injuries. This information
would be helpful in efforts to promote continued
improvement in this and perhaps other injury
problems.
Committee on Injury and Poison
Prevention, 2000-2001
A statement of
reaffirmation for this policy was published on
September 1, 2005.
A statement of
reaffirmation for this policy was published on
August 1, 2008.
This policy is a revision
of the policy posted on September 1, 1991.
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