Fireworks safety tips for a safe July Fourth

Fireworks on the Fourth of July are as American as apple pie. Carol Cunningham, MD, Emergency Medicine Physician at Akron General Health System urges using common sense when it comes to handling fireworks to celebrate our country's birthday.

On average, about 200 people every day go to the emergency department with fireworks-related injuries around the 4th of July holiday, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). More than half the injuries were burns. For example, a sparkler can burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit - which is as hot as a blow torch.

Almost half (41 percent) of fireworks injuries are to a person's hands, fingers or arms. One-third (38 percent) of them are to a person's eyes, head, face and ears (CPSC).

Firecrackers on Chinese New Year  - Photo by Amythyst Lake

If fireworks are legal in your community, The American College of Emergency Physicians strongly suggests that you do not use fireworks at your home. If you do use them, however, these do's and don'ts will help make it a safer experience.

• DO - Have knowledgeable supervision by an experienced adult if you choose to use fireworks.
• DO - Buy fireworks from reputable dealers.
• DO - Read warning labels and follow all instructions.
• DO - Keep a bucket of water or fire extinguisher on hand.
• DO - Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
• DO - Dispose of all fireworks properly.
• DON'T - Give any fireworks, including sparklers, to small children; older children should be supervised by a responsible adult.
• DON'T - Light fireworks indoors or near other objects.
• DON'T - Place your body over a fireworks device when trying to light the fuse and immediately back up to a safe distance after you light it.
• DON'T - Point or throw fireworks at another person, ever.
• DON'T - Try to re-light or pick up malfunctioning fireworks.
• DON'T - Wear loose clothing while using any fireworks.
• DON'T - Set off fireworks in glass or metal containers - the fragments can cause severe injury.
• DON'T - Carry fireworks in a pocket.

"The safest and only thing you should do is watch a professional fireworks display managed by experts who have proper training and experience handling these explosives," says Dr. Cunningham.

Sydney Fireworks - Anthony Cramp Photo 2010

About Akron General Health System

Akron General Health System, an affiliate of Cleveland Clinic, is a not-for-profit health care organization that has been improving the health and lives of the people and communities it serves since 1914. Akron General Health System includes: Akron General Medical Center, a 532-bed teaching and research medical center, and Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation, the area's largest provider of rehabilitation services; Akron General Partners, which includes Partners Physician Group, the Akron General Health & Wellness Centers, Lodi Community Hospital, Community Health Centers and other companies; Akron General Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates; and Akron General Foundation. Recently, U.S. News & World Report ranked Akron General Medical Center as the fifth best hospital in Ohio for the second year running. In 2013, the American Nurses Association bestowed the prestigious "Magnet" status on the more that 1,000 nurses from Akron General Medical Center, Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation and the Health System's Health & Wellness Centers. For more information about Akron General Health System, visit akrongeneral.org.

AUTHOR AND PSYCHOLOGIST DR. CONSTANCE VINCENT'S NEW BOOK "NOT GOING GENTLY" DETAILS HER COURAGEOUS FIGHT AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S FOR HER MOTHER… AND HERSELF

"Vincent is an adept writer, both when it comes to engrossing storytelling and in delivering medical facts with significant weight… A quick, emotional, and educational memoir about Alzheimer's." – Kirkus Featured Review

"A highly candid and intimate memoir that chronicles the many challenges facing those touched by Alzheimer's disease. It is impossible not to be moved by Dr. Vincent's heartfelt account…" – Dr. Kirk Erikson, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh and author of a key brain study

San Francisco, CA- Dr. Constance Vincent's Not Going Gently is more than just a poignant mother-daughter memoir of a loved one slowly slipping away. The book interweaves story and science into a unique first-person, very informed account of her mother's personal experience living with Alzheimer's, intertwined with her own determined and dogged professional research into the disease, to perhaps get a glimpse of what she might expect in her own future.

"For baby boomers – or anyone else – concerned about memory loss, the big fear is always "What if I'm getting Alzheimer's?" And if you have dementia in your family, you have even more reason to worry," says Dr. Vincent, a retired psychologist based in Northern California. "But here's the Catch 22. The disease has a 'head start' of twenty or more years ravaging your brain before you recognize the damage, and then it's too late for help. You have to take preventive measures to stop it now, before symptoms appear."

While much of what information exists about Alzheimer's tends to focus on only one aspect of the disease from either a scientific or personal perspective, Not Going Gently melds the two in an all-inclusive portrait of the disease. The book respectfully and honestly addresses this devastating illness that affects millions of people and their loved ones, while also offering hope through groundbreaking prevention plans.

Not Going Gently is an easy-to-read, warmly emotional memoir on love, aging and loss that contrasts Dr. Vincent's mother Madeline's touching and dramatic story with her own normal age-related memory changes and research into the disease.

About The Author:

Constance is a psychologist and former university professor who studies the individual's innate capacity to realize his or her full potential – mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Inspired by the quotation attributed to Socrates, "An unexamined life may not be worth living," she is also aware of the warning from Dr. Schweitzer and others that "an unlived life" may not be worth examining. Seeking to both live fully and examine deeply, Constance's widely varied interests, circumstances, and experiences reflect her philosophy. She lives in Northern California.

Website: www.DrCLVincent.com

Book: www.amazon.com/Not-Going-Gently

SUMMER OF CREATIVITY GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS

Disney | ABC Television Group Supports 125 Youth-Led Service Projects with $500 Grants

Washington, D.C. – As school lets out for the summer, Youth Service America (YSA) is calling on kids to make this a Summer of Creativity. YSA, through support from Disney | ABC Television Group will award Summer of Creativity Grants to young change-makers who have ideas and projects that positively impact their community. 

Youth ages 5-18 in the U.S. are eligible to apply for Summer of Creativity Grants by submitting service project ideas that will make a difference in their local communities. One hundred and twenty five winners will be awarded individual $500 grants to implement their projects. Select grantees will have a chance to be recognized on Good Morning America or their local ABC affiliate. Applications will be accepted through August 10, 2015, at YSA.org/BeInspired.

2014 grant-awarded projects included:

• Warm Winters, a program run by a 14-year-old to collect coats, hats, and gloves left at ski resorts to help keep the homeless warm.
• Shred Kids Cancer, a campaign organized by a 14-year-old to fundraise for research to help find cures for pediatric cancer.
• Braeden's Brown Bags, a foundation founded by a 10-year-old to provide healthy meals to kids in need.

"With half the world's population under the age of 25, our future depends on helping young people to find their voice, take action, and make a positive impact in their communities. We know that young people are uniquely suited to help solve problems - if given the opportunity," said Steven A. Culbertson, President and CEO of YSA. "We need youth to be leaders and problem solvers today, not just the leaders of a distant tomorrow. Disney ABC Television Group's Summer of Creativity is about shining a bright light on the incredible power of youth to use their ingenuity to change the world."

For more information and to apply, visit www.YSA.org/BeInspired. 

YSA (Youth Service America) helps young people find their voice, take action, and make an impact on vital community issues. YSA activates, funds, trains, and recognizes young people ages 5-25 and their adult partners. For more information, visit www.YSA.org.

Disney | ABC Television Group's Summer of Creativity recognizes young people who are harnessing the power of creativity and service to positively impact people, communities and the planet. YSA, supported by Disney | ABC Television Group and Disney Friends for Change, will award $500 Summer of Creativity Grants to young change-makers who are taking action and caring for the world we share. Youth ages 5-18 are encouraged to apply before August 10 by visiting ABC.com/BeInspired or YSA.org/BeInspired.