The Dark Side Of Independence Day

For most people, the 4th of July is all about great barbecues, ice-cold beer and stunning fireworks displays. For an unlucky few, however, the holiday has a dark side. Last year, 4 people were killed and thousands more were hospitalized due to accidents involving fireworks.

According to Journal of Surgical Research data published by Vox, young men and teenage boys are far more likely than anyone else to get injured by fireworks. Last year, they accounted for 61 percent of all hospitalizations. In 2016, 1,300 hospitalizations were caused by firecrackers, 900 were attributed to sparklers, 500 were from Roman candles, and 400 were caused by bottle rockets.

The following infographic shows the toll inflicted by fireworks every month in the U.S. between 2006 and 2010. New Year's Eve resulted in 1,515 visits over those four years but that has nothing on Independence Day. The spike in July stands out like a sore thumb with over 15,500 people hospitalized due to fireworks over the same time period.