Eye injuries from BB and other non-powder guns has risen 30%

Anyone who’s watched the 1980s classic “A Christmas Story” has seen the risk with BB guns, and new data suggests that eye injuries related to these and other non-powder guns are on the rise. Here’s more: 

• The study: Researchers looked at data from over 360,000 children under the age of 18 between 1990-2016. 
• Overall findings: The rate of eye injuries from BB guns as well as pellet, paintball, and airsoft guns increased by 30%, even though the number of all types of injuries from these guns decreased by almost 50%. 
• Specific trends: BB guns accounted for more than 80% of all injuries, and nearly 90% of children injured were boys. The most common type of eye injury was a scratch on the eye’s cornea.