DOH: No more scare ads vs firecrackers

MANILA - Out with the scare ads, in with the benevolence. The Department of Health is trying a different tack in encouraging the public not to use firecrackers this year. Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that instead of buying firecrackers, the people should just donate the money to charitable organization that will help survivors of super typhoon "Yolanda." "They can donate it. There are so many NGOs, and there are individual medical teams going," he said in an interview on Mornings@ANC. Ona said the DOH is dialing down its previous strategy of using scare ads that showed mangled hands and fingers that were the results of firecracker explosions. He said the scare ads led to a 9% decrease in firecracker injuries from 2011-2012. He said children 10 years old and below are the most vulnerable to firecracker explosions. "The strategy now is to add more of a plea rather than scaring the children...The public should have learned already that there is a cultural way of enjoying and welcoming the New Year. Maybe we should lower the fear factor," he said. The Health Secretary said he wants local governments to just conduct grand fireworks displays and prohibit families from buying their own fireworks. He also warned against residents firing their guns to celebrate the New Year.