Dr. Khalid Maree
Makkah
Games help shape children’s personalities and development; they also sharpen their intelligence. Unfortunately, there are a large number of dangerous games readily available to children. I am not talking about electronic games; I am talking about firecrackers that are widely available. Many children are seriously injured when playing with firecrackers. In some cases, some children have developed lifelong deformities while others have been killed due to firecrackers exploding in their faces. Electronic games are dangerous, but do not kill or cause disabilities.
The real problem is that firecrackers are gaining popularity among children and we see children playing with them throughout the year. Firecrackers used to be available during holidays, but now they are available all the time, which means that we will continue to hear and read about more children being injured when playing with them.
I call on retailers to stop selling firecrackers to children and to look at the big picture instead of focusing on making profits. The police cannot go from one grocery store to another searching for firecrackers and cannot crack down on street sellers for the simple reason that they have other duties to carry out. Moreover, most vendors keep changing their locations so that the police cannot catch them. I believe that municipal officers should help the police crack down on street vendors and grocery stores that sell firecrackers. In fact, it is the job of municipal officers to monitor selling in the market.
I urge parents to keep a close eye on their children and report firecracker vendors to the police to help them eradicate their sale. I would like to remind parents that children are their responsibility; they should take care of them and ensure their safety and that they are protected against danger.
