Encouraging Firework Safety Through Public Service Announcements
Stefano Cardin1, Rachel Faber1, Daniel Miller1
1Orlando Health Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orlando, FL.
The Journal of Hand Surgery
|January 26, 2022
Summary
A public service announcement campaign significantly reduced firework-related hand and upper extremity injuries. This initiative decreased surgical cases by 71% in one year, highlighting the effectiveness of public safety messaging.
Area of Science:
- Trauma Surgery
- Public Health
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Record-setting numbers of firework-related blast injuries to the hand and upper extremity were observed during the July 4, 2018 holiday.
- This surge prompted the hand and upper extremity department to address the escalating injury rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the creation and dissemination process of a public service announcement (PSA) campaign.
- To report the impact of the PSA on firework-related blast injury prevention.
Main Methods:
- Development and broadcast of a firework safety and injury prevention PSA across multiple media platforms (TV, radio, internet).
- The PSA was disseminated in advance of the July 4, 2019 holiday.
Main Results:
- A substantial reduction in surgical cases for firework-related hand and upper extremity blast injuries was observed in the year following the PSA campaign.
- Only 4 patients required surgery in the 10-day period around July 4, 2019, compared to 14 patients during the same period in 2018.
Conclusions:
- The implemented PSA campaign was effective in significantly reducing firework-related blast injuries to the hand and upper extremity.
- Public health initiatives utilizing multi-platform dissemination can be a successful strategy for injury prevention.
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