In 2015 the Ljubljana University Medical Centre (UKCL) treated as many as 15 people injured in accidents related to the use of pyrotechnics. Among these, 60 per cent were under the age of 20. The same percentage of the injured did not use pyrotechnics themselves but were injured due to the carelessness of others.

Accidents resulting in permanent damage to young people could be prevented through greater focus on prevention, pointed out UKCL’s surgeon Uroš Ahčan in the Odmevi news programme.
"Politics and the society have to take care of the young and engage them in various sports of music events, or visiting an exhibition or theatre performances. As it is, the young are bored and spend their time experimenting with the thought that they’re indestructible. Just one careless moment is enough for one’s life to be turned upside. And this does not only affect an individual but the family and the society as a whole," added Ahčan. Warnings against possible consequences of pyrotechnics should be frequent, and not merely before the Christmas holidays: "In computer games, the winner is the one who kills the most people in as little time as possible. The young live in a virtual world that has numerous sound effects and little pain. However, pain exists in the real world," emphasized UKCL’s surgeon.

Youngsters with severe and permanent injuries are often marginalised, which is why more time should be devoted to prevention, warns Ahčan, pointing out a project carried out at the Bežigrad Grammar School, where students had their right arm wrapped into a bag during school break so as to feel at least for a few minutes what it was like to live without a hand.

B. L.; translated by K. Z.