Teen Loses Eye in Fireworks Accident: Safety Alert Issued

Health leaders are sounding the alarm following a marked increase in hospital admissions for burns and firework-related injuries across England. In November 2025, NHS England recorded 85 admissions, a rise from 60 in the preceding year, with total admissions reaching 161 for 2025 compared to 120 in 2024. This surge follows a severe incident involving 17-year-old Aleks Stasiukiewicz, who tragically lost his left eye and part of his eyelid in November 2025 when a firework exploded prematurely. He was treated at James Cook University Hospital where medical staff removed fragments and inserted a prosthesis.

Experts, including Professor Frankie Swords, NHS medical director, and Becky Guy from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa), stress the critical importance of supervision and safety precautions. They strongly advocate for attending professionally organized public fireworks displays as the safest option. For those planning home celebrations, Rospa advises purchasing fireworks only from reputable sources, using them one at a time, lighting them at arm's length, and never returning to a lit firework. The warning comes amidst similar past incidents, such as an eight-year-old boy losing fingers in a 2022 incident in Paisley, highlighting the persistent dangers.