How to stay safe on the Fourth of July

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The 4 ^th of July is this Thursday and people across the state will be celebrating in different ways.

Sometimes, things can take a turn for the worse at these celebrations though.

Cookouts, fireworks, local festivals… there are a ton of ways to celebrate the Fourth of July in West Virginia.

Unfortunately, there are also a ton of ways to end up injured during the holiday too.

Eric Withrow, Emergency Department Director of Beckley Appalachian Regional Healthcare, said there is one danger that may not even be on your mind.

“So, one of the biggest things over the Fourth of July and really any holiday is being aware of the heat. I think staying hydrated as you do activities throughout the week is of utmost importance,” said Withrow. “As you’re enjoying activities and outside, you tend to dehydrate a lot faster, and if you add alcohol on top of that it tends to dehydrate you a lot quicker. So, staying hydrated, drinking a lot of water is important.”

Withrow also said if you’re going to be drinking alcohol, you should mix in water as well

It’s also important to remember to eat.

Drinking on an empty stomach can dehydrate you quickly.

Another popular activity is setting off fireworks, but with these fireworks comes the possibility of injury.

Withrow had some advice regarding the pyrotechnics as well.

“Avoiding alcohol use while dealing with fireworks, it tends to increase your chance of getting injured cause it delays your reaction time. Another is doing it in a safe location. Avoid doing these in or near your home, make sure you have a water source available cause you are dealing in dry conditions that could increase the risk of fire.” said Withrow.

Withrow said to completely douse fireworks that don’t go off, and absolutely do not try to re-light them.

If a firework goes off in your hand or nearby and causes injury, call 911 immediately.

Even if the injury is minor, emergency medical services can treat you and advise you further.

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