Questions, concerns raised on lack of firework injury reports in Ga

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Fireworks became legal in Georgia in 2015, but keeping track of firework-related injuries is still proving to be difficult.

Many think the majority of these injuries are not reported, which goes hand-in-hand with what state officials believe.

Officials say they can't determine whether the number of injuries has changed since fireworks became legal due to the number of firework injuries they think are underreported. They say it's a nationwide pattern.

The Georgia State Fire Marshall said his agency hasn't received reports from hospitals and other sources for years despite a state law requiring certain types of burns being reported.

State lawmakers legalized sales of bottle rockets, firecrackers, and other fireworks despite opponents' arguments that it would lead to more severe injuries.

One person says he doesn't light fireworks and would rather watch them from a distance after seeing a friend get hurt a while back.

"Probably the minor injuries, you know blow your thumb or a blister on your thumb something like that probably doesn't report all of that. But the major injuries like the guy that plays for the New York Giants blew three of his fingers off. Yeah fireworks," shared Savannah resident, David Williams.

The Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission reported at least 11 deaths from fireworks in 2015 and almost 12,000 injuries requiring treatment.

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