The prevalence of fireworks injuries among children at Halloween remains unchanged despite the introduction of legislation to improve safety and regulate the sale of the products, a new study has found.
The research, published in the Irish Medical Journal, found there were 10 referrals to a paediatric burns unit over a seven-day period around Halloween 2024.
The patients were all boys, ranging in age from 9 to 15 years, but the average age was 12.1 years.
Of these, three patients required admission to hospital, two were taken to the operating theatre for hand fractures under general anaesthetic, while one patient sustained an injury to his eye that resulted in permanent loss of vision.
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The study, led by Aoife Feely, of the department of plastic surgery at Children’s Health Ireland Crumlin, sought to compare the results to 2001 academic research which identified 10 cases over a period of three weeks, results which Feely described as “similar”.
The importation, sale, supply and use of fireworks is heavily restricted under the Criminal Justice Act 2006.
Under an EU directive on the sale and marketing of pyrotechnics, enacted in Ireland in 2015, low-hazard fireworks, including so called party poppers, cannot be sold to children under 12, while bigger fireworks require a licence for use.
“Having compared our experience to that published in advance of the introduction of this regulation, it would appear that its impact has been limited,” the study said, adding that prevalence remains “unchanged”.
The researchers said that, internationally, the use of public safety announcements (PSAs) in the lead up to Halloween reduces injuries.
“The introduction of PSAs in the weeks leading up to the Halloween period may have the most impact on mitigating these devastating paediatric injuries,” they said.
The research also called for consideration to be given towards “mandatory reporting” of such injuries, which may improve regulation and monitoring.
