Eye-popping rise in BB-gun injuries, study finds

Enlarge / Ralphie, after he's hit himself with a BB and stepped on his glasses. (credit: MGM/UA Entertainment Co.)

A Christmas Story isn't just a beloved holiday classic. It's also a public service announcement about the dangers of BB guns-which, according to new data, is sorely needed.

The number and rate of eye injuries from BB guns and other "nonpowder firearms" are on the rise in kids and teens, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. The eye-popping trend is occurring despite the fact that the number and rate of other types of injuries from nonpowder firearms have fallen dramatically in the past 26 years.

The authors of the study-a team of pediatric injury researchers in Ohio-attribute the ocular offenses to a dismal uptake of protective eyewear. Previous research estimated that, among kids with eye-injures from nonpowder firearms, more than 98% were not wearing eye protection at the time of their injuries.

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