46% of All Pumpkin-Carving Injuries Will Happen This Week 

I never liked carving pumpkins. I love Halloween, but I skip that part. Which is good, because I am clumsy with knives.

Here’s a scary stat for Halloween:  46% of all pumpkin-related KNIFE injuries will happen this week. 

A study found there are about 2,000 a year in the U.S., and that’s just people who end up in the E.R.  84% of them happen in October.  November is next at 11%. 

Experts say even adults should really be using those orange pumpkin-carving knives.  They’re a lot safer than a real knife.  For kids under 10, think about painting pumpkins instead.  Or YOU may want to do the carving for them. 

Here are a few more stats to help keep you safe . . . 

1. Teenagers and pre-teens are the most likely to cut themselves.  32% of injuries involve kids between 10 and 19 years old.  Kids under 10 are next at 20%. 
2. The last three days leading up to Halloween will see the most injuries.  There’s always a spike on weekends, and the night before Halloween.  So that’s this coming Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. 
3. Your thumb and index finger are the digits you’re most likely to cut.  Around 60% of pumpkin-carving injuries involve those two digits.  

Sources: PubMed / WJAR

• Mel McKay