Impact of ban on firecracker sale in Delhi-NCR during Diwali of 2017 on the epidemiology of burns patients in a tertiary care center in Delhi

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to validate if the Supreme Court order on banning the sale of firecracker in Delhi-NCR during Diwali of 2017 had any significant effect on the public behavior. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the demographics of patients presenting with cracker burn injuries to the burns casualty during Diwali of 2017 (1 day before Diwali, Diwali day, and the day after Diwali) to that of the previous 3 years, i.e., 2014–2016. Materials and Methods: Hospital-based retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of a tertiary care center in Delhi. Result: Cracker burn injury cases during Diwali of 2017 reduced by 63% compared to the previous year. The total number of cracker burn patients presenting to the casualty on the 3 days of the festival per 100,000 populations in Delhi during Diwali was 1.56, 1.11, 1.17, and 0.42 in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. The air pollution level during Diwali of 2017 has come down from “severe to very poor.” Conclusion: From the significant drop in the cracker burn injuries during Diwali of 2017, we can deduce that the ban on the sale of firecrackers has impacted a change in public behavior. This change should be noted by public authorities and has to be followed up with more measures to sustain the gains derived from banning cracker sales during Diwali of 2017 into future Diwali not only in Delhi but also in other states in the country with alarming air pollution levels.