America’s BBQ-friendly Fourth of July holiday is synonymous with pool parties, red, white, and blue flags, and those July 4th Old Navy t-shirts so many toddlers and adults alike seem to sport. If you’re spending the holiday making s’mores with the neighbors and tossing burgers on the grill, remember this: Be extra careful when it comes to pool safety, fireworks, and sparklers. Before you roll your eyes and think, “This mom is no fun,” (I am, I promise) know this: Doctors are warning parents that although sparklers may seem harmless or innocent — they can pose a safety risk to kids.
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They’re not meant to be toys
According to NYC-based pediatrician Dr. Dyan Hes, most people don’t realize that sparklers can reach up to 1,200 degrees.
“The hot metal can cause a third-degree burn. Personally, I don’t think small children should use sparklers at all,” Dr. Hes told Mom.com.
Dr. Mojdeh Toomarian, an emergency physician at Sollis Health, agrees that sparklers are a party no-no, especially for kids.
“A sparkler’s extremely high temperatures can be hot enough to melt some metals. Plus, along with skin burn, sparklers can cause eye injuries, and even ignite clothing,” Dr. Toomarian added.
They are much more dangerous thank you think
If they can melt metals, imagine the damage they can cause on sensitive little hands. According to Dr. Toomarian, children between the ages of 5 to 9 account for a large portion of sparkler injuries.
“Kids should not be handling any fireworks even if legal in your community,” says Toomarian. “There is no safe way for a child to hold and handle sparklers.”
Even adults should take precautions, warns Toomarian. If you do insist on lighting one, hold the sparklers away from the body, and six feet away from another person, Toomarian advised.
Be sure to take caution when handling sparklers and disposing of them
Once done, don’t just toss previously lit sparklers into the grass aimlessly either. Toomarian warns that “sparklers’ smoke contains thousands of small metal particles which are toxic to humans and particularly harmful for children to inhale.”
Dr. Hes says as parents, when it comes to sparkler safety, “know the data. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there were about 900 ER department-treated injuries associated with sparklers in 2020. This was also during Covid, so the numbers may probably be higher today.”
Instead of handing out celebratory sparklers to kids, Dr. Hes recommends waving little American flags, and viewing fireworks from a distance because, as always, ‘safety first!”
