Celebratory Safety Message…

With New Year's Eve almost here, we offer wishes to start the New Year with renewed joy and life filled with peace and prosperity.  Additionally, we offer some tips to remind you when it comes to safety during celebratory celebrations including but not limited to: fireworks, guns, alcohol, and driving under the influence.

For many New Year’s Eve celebrations can be the among the most fun parties of the year. But remember amidst the revelry there is a spike in some legitimate health risks like gun injuries and unsafe intoxication. Enjoy the holiday and make sure to take care of your loved ones and yourself!

Celebratory gunfire

Shooting your gun into the air on New Year's Eve -- or any celebratory gunfire, for that matter -- can have deadly consequences. That might seem obvious, but along with party poppers, fireworks and champagne, it remains a staple at some celebrations.

It’s never a good idea to fire a gun aimlessly and New Year’s Eve is a time when people apparently like to do just that.

A bullet fired in the air can travel up 2 miles before falling downward at a speed between 300 and 700 feet per second. Stray bullets kill dozens of people annually. The guidelines for celebratory gun fire are pretty simple: just don’t do it. It’s illegal, and it’s dangerous.

Drinking and driving

Drunk driving kills 10,000 people in the United States every year, and the holiday season is one of the most dangerous times to be on the road. During the holidays, two to three times more people die in drunk driving crashes than on average. Selecting a designated driver, utilizing uber, taking a cab or refraining from drinking during your celebration of the New Year will reduce your risk, but remember you’re not the only one on the road. Stay vigilant and report others who you think may be driving intoxicated.

Unsafe Intoxication

Drinking is a quintessential part of the New Years’ experience for many, but one too many drinks can dampen the fun. Cross your limit by a few more drinks and alcohol poisoning can kill you. On New Year’s Eve, just remember that normal recommendations for safe alcohol consumption apply. Pace yourself, count your drinks, don’t consume drinks from strangers, and hydrate with water.

Fireworks

More than 11,000 people sustained injuries from fireworks last year, including eight fatal injuries. The best way to avoid an injury from fireworks is to let the professionals handle them. But, if you do feel the need to launch your own pyrotechnics, there are a few rules to follow. First, don’t hand fireworks off to kids, even the smaller and seemingly less dangerous ones. Around 40% of injuries came from small devices like bottle rockets and sparklers and children under five experienced a higher rate of fireworks injury than any other age group, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Also, avoid illegal or homemade options. If a firework is illegal, there’s a reason.