In the years before the ban, around 500 people suffered eye injuries on New Year’s Eve, according to a survey by the working group “Safe Fireworks” of the DOG German Society of Ophthalmology. This changed in the years of the pandemic: The total number of eye injuries fell by 86 percent in 2020/2021 and by 61 percent in 2021/2022. The ban on sales and restrictions on gatherings have therefore proven effective in reducing eye injuries. Fireworks will be allowed again this year, with advance sales starting on 28 December 2023. The DOG is again expecting a high number of injuries and is calling for caution when using fireworks. The association is also campaigning for community-oriented, public firework shows.