DOH launches 'safest firecracker' for New Year

Want an injury-free New Year celebration? Try Goodbye Paputok, the “safest firecracker experience” to greet the New Year, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Goodbye Paputok — actually a reproduction of the illegal Goodbye Philippines firecracker that contains a CD recording of the sounds of exploding and lighted firecrackers and fireworks — is part of the DOH's campaign to keep the New Year festivities injury-free. The agency has recorded 141 cases of injuries from fireworks, firecrackers, and bullets since holiday festivities began this year. “Goodbye Paputok is the safest way to welcome the New Year,” said Health Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag during the CD’s launch on Wednesday. “Instead of lighting up firecrackers, people should play this CD.” The CD, which has a playing time of five minutes and 20 seconds, contains the recorded sounds of Five Star, Watusi, Super Lolo, Judas Belt, Whistle Bomb, Kwitis, Luces, and Trompillo. Measuring nine inches on all three sides, its appearance is patterned after the illegal firecrackers Goodbye Philippines, Goodbye Earth, and Goodbye Universe. “Goodbye Paputok is an oversized Goodbye Philippines/Goodbye World, which does not contain gunpowder but houses a CD full of firecracker tracks, simulating bangs, and explosions,” Tayag said. “Instead of risking life and limb, the DOH is actively encouraging everyone to play the disc to celebrate the New Year.” A rock guitarist's brainchild Tayag said the idea for Goodbye Paputok came from Herbert Hernandez, guitarist of the rock band 6 Cyclemind, who approached the DOH early December with the proposal. He said Hernandez wanted to help the DOH in its anti-firecracker use campaign “Aksyon: Paputok Injury Reduction.” “We brainstormed with them to improve the proposed product. We sought the final approval of the senior DOH officials and came up with the Goodbye Paputok,” said Tayag, who is also the DOH spokesman. The band donated 500 CDs to the DOH for distribution to local governments nationwide, Tayag said. Unlike the usual marketing of original audio CDs, reproduction and distribution of the Goodbye Paputok CD are encouraged. “It is okay to burn or copy the Goodbye Paputok CD. It is okay to distribute burned copies of the CDs. We have authorized the local government units to distribute them. We are making preparations to have the recording to be available for downloading from the DOH website,” Tayag said. No scare tactics As of Wednesday, Dec. 28, the DOH has recorded 133 fireworks-related injuries, seven stray-bullets injuries, and one case of firecracker ingestion since it started its annual surveillance of 50 sentinel hospitals last Dec. 21. Although the figure is 18 percent lower compared to the same figure last year, health authorities expect the number to go up because they have decided to try a “new campaign,” which junked the scare tactics showing mangled hands and fingers. Tayag said another factor that may lead to the increase in fireworks-related injuries is the campaign of the DOH for the local government units to donate funds from their traditional “Fireworks Community Display” to the rehabilitation drive to assist victims of Sendong instead. “The cancellation of communal fireworks display will prompt individuals to return to the old way of lighting up firecrackers on their own,” he said. Tayag said 77 of the fireworks-related injuries were caused by Piccolo, which is favored by children. “Because of their slow motor reflex, (children) have to repeatedly scratch Piccolo against a rough surface. It also takes them a while to throw away a lighted up Piccolo, which end up exploding while they are holding a piece of a Piccolo,” Tayag said. During the Dec. 21, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011 surveillance period, the DOH reported a total of 972 cases of fireworks-related injuries, 39 cases of stray-bullet injuries, and 11 cases of fireworks ingestion, one of which was fatal. - KBK/YA, GMA News