More than one-third of all fireworks-related injuries are caused by shell-and-mortar-style fireworks, making them the most dangerous Fourth of July pyrotechnic on the market, according to a study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. The Seattle Times reports approximately 10,500 people in the US are treated for fireworks-related injuries every year, peaking around the Fourth of July. The study looks at 294 cases between 2005 and 2015 in Washington state.
The patients were 90% male and the average age was 24. Researchers found 39% of injuries in those cases were related to shell-and-mortar-style fireworks. Adults accounted for most (86%) of all shell-and-mortar injuries, while teens were most likely to be hurt by homemade fireworks and children were most likely to be injured by rockets.
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