IN THE KNOW: Deadly ‘piccolo’

DAYS before New Year’s Eve in 2014, a boy in Manila lost his left hand when he lighted a piccolo which exploded before he could throw it.

The tiny but powerful piccolo, a banned firecracker, has remained the leading cause of fireworks-related injuries during the New Year festivities.

Its colorful packaging that sometimes comes with a cartoon character attracts the young since children could easily mistake it for candy, said Health Secretary Janette Garin.

Piccolo can produce a big bang, like the bawang, a firecracker shaped like a garlic bulb that explodes like a grenade, and whose use is approved by authorities.

A dose of 50 to 100 milligrams of the yellow phosphorus substance found in piccolo could be lethal to humans.

Burns and vomiting are the immediate symptoms in a person affected by piccolo contamination. The effect is life-threatening enough that immediate medical attention is recommended for anyone coming into contact with it. Simple first-aid steps will not do.

If children swallow a piccolo, they should not be made to vomit but should instead be given six to eight raw egg whites—adults may be given eight to 12 raw egg whites—before being brought immediately to the hospital, health officials said.

Piccolo can also damage the eyes and the skin, not to mention any extremities reached by its blast. It is also dangerous when inhaled.

The high demand for piccolo hampers government efforts to regulate the use and sale of the banned firecracker.

This type of firecracker is being smuggled into the country from China and repacked in the Philippines, said Lt. Angelito Cruz, assistant chief of the environmental protection unit of the Bureau of Customs.

Several bills banning the sale of firecrackers to minors or their use in densely populated areas have been filed in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Of the 455 firecracker-related injuries reported as of Jan. 2, 245 cases, or 54 percent, were caused by piccolo.

Sources: DOH, senate.gov.ph, Inquirer Archives