DOH seeks strict ban on piccolo

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday launched the “Iwas Paputok” campaign with a strong call to local government units (LGUs) and the police to strictly implement the ban against the use of piccolo firecrackers, the leading cause of injuries during the previous New Year revelry.

In a press briefing, Health Secretary Janette Garin said there would be a big reduction in fireworks-related injuries if the sale of piccolo would be banned.

“A majority of victims of fireworks are children aged six to 15 years and they are victims of piccolo. So we are calling on the LGUs and the police to implement the ban on piccolo. We also appeal to the vendors to stop selling these dangerous firecrackers,” she noted.

DOH records showed that in 2014, there were 840 fireworks-related injuries and 32 percent of them were caused by piccolo, a small and seemingly harmless firecracker that almost caused a 10-year-old boy from Dingras, Ilocos Norte to lose three fingers on his right hand last Nov. 27.

The other dangerous fireworks include kwitis that caused 15 percent of injuries last year, while luces accounted for seven percent and fountains, five percent.

Garin also called on parents and guardians to take the initiative to discourage their children from playing with piccolo snd other dangerous firecrackers.

She added that the DOH is aiming to achieve zero casualty this New Year celebration but this cannot be achieved without the cooperation of all sectors concerned, especially parents.

“Let us not dampen the spirit of Christmas by risking our lives and limbs just by using firecrackers. There are other alternative means of making noise, not only firecrackers,” she said.

She also pushed for a total ban on the household use of firecrackers to ensure public safety.

“There are many instances when innocent people are injured because of wayward firecrackers. The best way to prevent this from happening is to have a common fireworks display that will be organized by the LGUs or professionals,” she said.

If the DOH will have its way, it will implement a total ban on firecrackers, but Garin claimed that such prohibition requires a law.

She called on leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives to rush the passage of such a law so the number of firecracker victims this year will be significantly minimized.

Serious injuries and amputation caused by firecracker explosions have life-changing consequences.

She said it is an extreme gamble on one’s future. “Everytime a firecracker is ignited, a person’s life is at risk, hence, let us all do our part,” she added.