More than 200 people have been burned by fireworks in the country this December

According to the National Institute of Health, 204 people have been reported burned in the country so far in December due to the use of fireworks.

Although local and national authorities have insisted on avoiding its use, and have even made important decisions such as prohibiting the use of this material, many Colombians insist on having fun with gunpowder.

Darwin Andrés Díaz, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Humanities and Political Sciences at the University of Cundinamarca, gave an opinion on human interest in the use of gunpowder, especially in the midst of a pandemic.

“Christmas is approaching in a year with a complex global situation and a declared pandemic, so why insist on using fireworks if they are dangerous? Because fireworks have historically signified jubilation, joy, change, transition, and celebration. Certainly, in our culture and in those roots we have been building over the decades, fireworks are a sign of recognition as a society, without understanding the danger involved,” stated Dr. Darwin Andrés Díaz.

“We must remain aware, especially these days. We hope that no one gets burned, whether they are a child, young person, adult, or grandparent. I believe this is not a time for fireworks,” the dean stated.

One of the pieces of advice is to be supportive and take care of families, since it is impossible to live in chaos because of a firework burn and also because of exposing family members to a COVID-19 infection.

According to the national report, of the 204 affected, 118 are adults, 86 are under 18 years of age, 62 % was affected by the handling of gunpowder, 24 % was an observer, 2 % was a gunpowder transporter, and 1.5 % was a seller at the time of the incident.

“We don’t learn despite examples; we learn through awareness and the new habits the pandemic has instilled in us. We hope to avoid fireworks and other devices as part of self-care,” stated the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Political Science.

Finally, it is important for people to keep in mind that the use of gunpowder affects the environment due to pollution; in addition, the noise affects animals and some children with mental and cognitive disorders.

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