DOH pushes for total ban on firecrackers

MANILA, Philippines - Only a total ban on the use of firecrackers can stop widespread injuries during the New Year’s Eve revelry, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

The DOH is set to push for a total ban on the use of pyrotechnics in a DOH-organized “stakeholders’ summit” next month, where the department also hopes to present the deadly effects of smoke inhalation on health.

Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said the agency’s National Epidemiology Center (NEC) had registered 511 cases of respiratory illness from Dec. 21 to Jan. 5. The Lung Center of the Philippines reported 267 of the cases. Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center recorded 186 and East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC), 58.

“This is the first time that we made a surveillance on respiratory illness. We need the data because we will present them during the summit, to show the ill effects of smoking on health,” Tayag said in a press briefing.

The summit hopes to address the alarming number of injuries from firecracker explosion and stray bullets every year during the Christmas season, especially at the height of the New Year revelry.

Representatives from the pyrotechnics industry, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Metro Manila Development Authority, the Department of Trade and Industry, and Bulacan province officials are expected to attend the summit.

Tayag said they hope to come up with recommendations on how to change the Filipinos’ tradition of ushering in the New Year.

One of the proposals being raised by officials and concerned groups is a state or community sponsored fireworks display.

DOH records showed that from 6 a.m. of Dec. 21, 2012 to 6 a.m. of Jan. 6, 2013, a total of 931 injuries were reported to the NEC by 50 sentinel hospitals across the country.

Of these, 904 were caused by firecracker explosion; 25 by stray bullets and two by fireworks ingestion.

Tayag said the total figure was nine percent lower than the 1,021 cases recorded last year.

“This is the lowest in five years. The DOH is very happy although we are sad over the death of Nicole,” he said, referring to stray bullet victim Stephanie Nicole Ella, whose death triggered calls for a total gun ban.

“The tragic death of Nicole from a stray bullet as well as scores of others who were innocently injured from indiscriminate firing by irresponsible citizens should prompt the PNP to act on better gun control as well as our citizen’s responsible behavior,” Health Secretary Enrique Ona said.

EAMC director Roland Cortez said the hospital shouldered the expenses for Nicole’s hospitalization before she died last Jan. 2. 

“When we saw the patient, we gave everything. The parents did not have that much capability so we provided for everything. When the patient died, we did not charge them for anything. Everyone who has been brought to our emergency room – and it is part and parcel of our ‘iwas paputok’ campaign – we give them the necessary treatment at no cost.  But if a patient has the capability to pay, we let them pay,” he added.

Tayag had attributed the reduction in fireworks-related injuries to their Gangnam style-inspired campaign. Gangnam style is a popular Korean dance craze.

Records also showed that 246 of the firecracker victims were children below 10 years old. This was lower than the 283 victims from this age group last year.

According to Tayag, aside from the 931 cases registered in 50 sentinel hospitals, there were 491 other cases recorded in 94 non-sentinel hospitals. A total of 476 of the cases were due to firecrackers and 15 from stray bullets.

“We got this data because we need them for the summit. Our official registry covers only 50 sentinel hospitals.”

No rampant smuggling

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said yesterday there had been no rampant smuggling of firecrackers, contrary to some reports.

“This is unofficial, but I am happy to report that there has been a big reduction in the number of smuggling incidents in the past year. I just do not have the concrete records, but there has been a sizable drop especially in terms of the firecrackers during this past Christmas and New Year season,” BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) director Fernandino Tuason said.

“Sources in the industry admitted to us that only about two to three percent of the firecrackers, compared to the previous years, managed to come into the country,” he said. He said even the popular but dangerous piccolo came only in small volumes.

“Maybe the reports were just exaggerated. I personally monitored the market during the holidays and what I saw was the locally manufactured firecrackers, those that are big and dangerous to one’s health” such as Goodbye Philippines and Bin Laden, Tuason said.

“But I could not say that there are no more imported (firecrackers). There are still imported firecrackers in the market but it’s very minimal.” – With Evelyn Macairan