Tips to Avoid Wrap Rage Injuries this Holiday Season
According to a poll of Pennsylvania adults, about 17 percent of Pennsylvanians experienced an injury or knows someone who was injured while opening gifts during past seasons.
The Patient Poll, a survey of Pennsylvania adults 21 years old and older conducted by the Institute for Good Medicine at the Pennsylvania Medical Society in July 2009, asked participants: "Have you or someone you know ever been injured (such as receiving a cut that required medical attention) while opening the packaging (not gift wrap) of a holiday or birthday gift?"
Its findings:
- Yes, one time = 6.3 percent
- Yes, more than once = 11 percent
- No = 82.7 percent
According to the American Dialect Society, wrap rage is defined as anger brought on by the frustration of trying to open a factory-sealed purchase. As we enter the holiday season, Pennsylvania's physicians are encouraging citizens to play it safe with tough-to-open packaging to avoid an unnecessary trip to the emergency room. The following tips may help:
- If you must use a knife or another type of sharp object, cut away from your body.
- If you must use scissors, use ones with blunt tips.
- Wear protective gloves.
- Avoid opening tough-to-open packages in a crowded area.
- Don't use your legs to keep the product stable.