Slight decline in New Year's fireworks victims, but more young people sent to the ER
The number of victims from fireworks-related incidents has dropped for the second year in a row, VeiligheidNL reported on Monday. New Year’s Eve saw 1,162 fireworks victims ending up in the emergency room or at a GP emergency post. This is a decrease of four percent compared to last year when there were 1,212 victims of fireworks. In 2023, there were 1,253 victims of fireworks.
The share of young victims rose slightly at the 81 emergency departments (SEH). Around 37 percent of the fireworks victims at the SEHs were younger than 16 during last New Year’s Eve. Compared to a year earlier when 31 percent of the victims were under 16.
Just under 10 percent of the fireworks injuries came as a result of artillery shells fireworks. Three percent of victims were injured by a cobra, four percent were injured by nitrate fireworks.
Of all the victims, 55 were the ones who lit the fireworks themselves, and 45 percent were bystanders. There were no “noticeable changes in the type of fireworks or the type of injuries that people suffered,” said VeiligheidNL.
Most victims were treated in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region. Around 48 victims of fireworks injuries came from this area. The Haaglanden region followed with 44 victims, and Amsterdam-Amstelland had the third-highest number of victims with 25.
Proportionally, the most victims were in the regions of Haaglanden and Gelderland-Zuid. In both regions, almost four victims per 100,000 inhabitants ended up in the emergency departments.
The effect of a local ban on fireworks in those municipalities has remained limited, according to Martijntje Bakker, director of VeiligheidNL. "A general ban is the most effective way to prevent the majority of fireworks injuries. For example, the number of injuries during the coronavirus New Year's Eve of 2020-2021 was almost three times lower than it is now. Setting off fireworks was also banned in neighboring countries at the time, so it is wise to regulate this at a European level."
Reporting by ANP
