Watch out for firecrackers

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

There are now only about 36 hours more before we come to the end of year 2014, with the arrival of the next, 2015, which we all anticipate with a lot of hope and expectations of better things, both for ourselves and for our country.

Sadly, however, many of us still believe that welcoming a new year is not complete without the accompanying crackle and explosions of fireworks which have been noted to be getting more potent, more dangerous, and more deadly as the years go on. And we have people who cannot resist them, no matter how many warnings are floated by our Health authorities as well as our local officials about their dangers, and how they could ruin one's future, if not claim one's life.

Year after year, statistics are published about the fatalities and injuries from pyrotechnics, whose manufacturers continue to invent and develop bigger and more dangerous ones, because they have ready customers who buy them, and are ready to risk life and limb just to get a thrill from the loudest bang they could produce.

Despite the fact that such warnings continue to be ignored, we are still adding our own voice to those of our officials who, with the help of the media, still persist in publishing or showing evidences through pictures, TV presentations and other media, of those who learned too late how dangerous firecrackers are.

We have seen people, including very young ones maimed, blinded, having an arm or a leg amputated, ruining their chances in life because of the deformity they are left with.

That is why even if repeated warnings against firecrackers continue to be disregarded, we still hope that this yearend will see a more prudent use of them, and that parents, especially, will seriously take it upon themselves to make sure that their young children are kept away from them. Their future is too precious to waste in a moment of questionable fun.*