DOH promotes safest firecracker

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday endorsed the “world’s safest firecracker” – a compact disc (CD) containing the sounds of exploding firecrackers.

The CD is intended to replace real firecrackers, which have already caused injuries, burns and amputations to 133 individuals since Dec. 21.

“We have found the safest firecracker in the world. If they want noise to welcome the New Year, this CD is the answer. This CD contains the sounds of firecrackers and it will play for five minutes and 20 seconds. We can now bid goodbye to paputok (firecrackers),” DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag said.

The sounds of exploding five star, super lolo, Judas belt, watusi, whistle bomb, kwitis, luces and trompillo are included in the CD. There is also a “firecracker symphony” that provides a countdown capped by all the sounds being played simultaneously.

Tayag said the idea of having the CD was brought up to the DOH by 6CycleMind band guitarist Herbert Hernandez, who produced and donated 500 discs to the agency to help its “Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction (APIR)” program.

The 500 CDs will be given out by the DOH to local government units, which, in turn, will distributed them to the community.

The CD is open to reproduction but the DOH may make it available for download on its website.

Each CD is contained in a triangle-shaped brown envelop with a wick, similar to a giant “pla-pla,” a locally made firecracker.

Tayag, meanwhile, asked policemen and barangay leaders to confiscate piccolo and arrest its manufacturers and sellers as the firecracker now accounts for 80 percent or 77 of the 133 firecracker-related injuries recorded by the DOH since Dec. 21.

“If not for piccolo, the number of cases is low. What is unacceptable is that piccolo is used primarily by children, it was designed and manufactured for children,” he said.

Piccolo is set off by scratching the tip of a short stick against its box, similar to a match. A box contains 60 sticks and is being sold for only P10.

“Parents should not allow their children to play with piccolo or any firecrackers for that matter. They have to show resolve if they want their children to be safe this coming New Year,” Tayag said.

Based on the records of the DOHs’ 50 sentinel hospitals nationwide, 10 of the 133 firecracker victims have suffered amputations while 20 sustained eye injuries.

Ninety-six of the cases were caused by illegal firecrackers, while 13 cases involved individuals above 15 years of age and under the influence of alcohol.

Since Dec. 21, the DOH had registered seven cases of stray bullets and one firecracker ingestion.

These cases are 32 percent lower than the 109 cases during the same period in 2010.