FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  
 Contact: Gail H. Davis  
  
                                              FY 98-8 
                                              Date: June 1,1998

                                       
         

  Guard Against Fireworks Tragedy During July 4
                                Holiday

                                       
  Washington--The Nation’s chief investigator of explosives crimes
 called on all Americans to "practice fireworks safety to ensure
 that your July 4 holiday is a celebration and not a tragedy."  

 "Insist that any fireworks in the vicinity of your family,
 friends, and home are legal and used safely," advises John W.
 Magaw, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
 (ATF). ATF regulates explosives and investigates most explosives
 crimes.  

 Magaw recommended a two-step safety plan. "First, recognize that
 all fireworks present a risk to persons and property. Second,
 never buy or handle items with names like M-80, M-100, ashcan, and
 quarterstick. These are illegal explosive devices -- not fireworks
 -- that may explode without warning and have killed many times,"
 said Magaw.  

 M-80s are more like small bombs and have caused many of the
 7,500-plus injuries* attributed to fireworks most years. The total
 number of casualties caused by the devices is unknown since
 evidence often has exploded or victims cannot identify suppliers.  

 Many law enforcement agents rate handling illegal devices as their
 most hazardous duty.  

 Magaw invited the public to help expose traffickers of illegal
 explosive devices by calling their local ATF office.**  

 The Director stressed that ATF regards "bogus fireworks" as
 totally unpredictable. "They can seem innocent, then go off in
 your face," he warned.  

 A typical illegal explosive device is a cardboard tube:  

 - filled with explosive material;  

 - is 1 to 6 inches long and up to 6 inches in diameter;  

 - is red, silver, or brown in color;  

 - has a red, green, or blue fuse;  

 - resembles a roll of nickels or quarters with a fuse;  

 - sells for $1 to $5 or whatever buyers will pay.  

 Illegal explosive devices are not like Class-C common fireworks
 that are legal in some States. Common fireworks are regulated at
 the Federal level by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
 (CPSC). Common fireworks contain a trace or pyrotechnic material,
 are labeled Class-C, identify the producer, and come with safety
 precautions.  

 Illegal explosive devices meet neither safety nor quality
 standards. Heat, shock, or pressure can trigger accidental
 detonation. Devices from the smallest M-80 to the largest
 quarterstick have caused fatalities.  

 Traffickers across the United States will make sales pitches in
 the next few days to all who will listen. Too often, the listeners
 are young. Children 5 to 19 years old account for about 44 percent
 of all fireworks-related injuries in the United States.  

 "Supervise young people around fireworks", says Magaw. ATF also
 recommends checking with police, the sheriff, or the fire
 department to make sure fireworks purchased are legal.  

 Most ATF investigations of illegal explosive devices are conducted
 with State and local enforcement agencies.  

 For more information on ATF, visit the ATF Web site at
 www.aft.treas.gov.  
                                   -end-

 Contact:  

 * CPSC for data on fireworks injuries, legal fireworks.  

 ** local ATF office about illegal explosive devices in your area.
 ATF is listed under Treasury Department in the telephone
 directory.