Glass Soft Drink Bottles
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Containers & Packaging · CPSC Code 1120
Down 27% over 5 years
The verdict
Glass Soft Drink Bottles carry a danger score of 31/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,342 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 27% over the last five years.
- 31/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,342
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1120 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for glass soft drink bottles - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,342 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-27%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Glass Soft Drink Bottles (CPSC product code 1120, in the Containers & Packaging category) generate an estimated 1,342 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 26,847 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 31/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 27% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (2,417 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2009 (511 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for glass soft drink bottles is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 3,891 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (3,159 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 6,476 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 7 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how glass soft drink bottles fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 1,784 | 713 | |
| 5-14 | 3,784 | 2,692 | |
| 15-24 | 4,058 | 1,669 | |
| 25-34 | 2,021 | 1,693 | |
| 35-44 | 1,088 | 1,479 | |
| 45-54 | 634 | 1,406 | |
| 55-64 | 825 | 1,193 | |
| 65-74 | 396 | 602 | |
| 75+ | 310 | 431 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
43YOF STEPPED ON BROKEN *** BOTTLE WITH L FOOT & CUT FOOT DX ACUTE LEFT LATERAL FOOT LACERATION FLAP
23 YOM TRIPPED AND FELL WITH A GLASS *** BOTTLE. DX: FOREIGN BODY IN SOFT TISSUE, LACERATION OF RIGHT HAND WITH FOREIGN BODY.
13 YOM HANDLING A FIREARM, ACCIDENTALLY DISCHARGED, HIT A GLASS *** BOTTLE THAT BROKE AND HIT PT IN CHEST DX; CHEST LAC
37YOM STATES THAT A FAMILY MEMBER DROPPED A GLASS SODA BOTTLE WHICH BROKE AND SHATTERED CUTTING HIS LEFT LOWER LEG DX: LACERATION TO LOWER LEG
86YOF C/O INTRACTABLE BACK PAIN. HAS HISTORY OF CHRONIC BACK PAIN. ON FRIDAY, BENT OVER AND PICKED UP BOTTLES OF SODA AND FELT AN INTESE PAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF HER BACK. SCANS SHOW FRACTURE. DX: ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE READING, LUMBAR BACK PAIN, AMBULATORY DYSFUNCTION, CLOSED COMPRESSION FRACTURE OF BODY OF L1 VERTEBRA
5 YOM WAS HOLDING AN OLD GLASS SODA BOTTLE HE FOUND IN THE CAR WHEN IT SHATTERED. DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT UPPER EXTREMITY
13YOF PT SHAKING A SODA BOTTLE & STRUCK SELF IN LEFT EYE, CAUSING 2CM LAC NO DX
17 YOF. LEG LAC AFTE RPT WAS CUT W/ A BROKEN *** BOTTLE. DX: LEG LAC
36YOF PATIENT WAS DRINKING SODA FROM A GLASS BOTTLE, SHE TOOK THE FIRST DRINK AND FELT A FOREIGN OBJECT THAT SHE SWALLOWED. SHE HAD SOME BLEEDING FROM HER MOUTH FOLLOWING HER DRINK. DX: ABDOMINAL PAIN, FOREIGN BODY IN ESOPHAGUS
64YOF WHILE SHE WAS TRYING TO CUT SOMETHING OFF A POP BOTTLE THE KNIFE SLIPPED AND CUT HER LEFT HAND DX LT INDEX FINGER LACERATION
65YOF TRIPPED AND FELL OVER A GLASS *** BOTTLE. BOTTLE DIDNT BREAK. DX: LEFT HIP PAIN.
24YOM PRESENTED TO ED C/O R PALMAR LACERATION AFTER A GLASS SODA BOTTLE SHATTERED ON HIS HAND DX; LACERATION OF FINGER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Several days after purchasing Trader Joes Blood Orange Italian Soda in a glass bottle, the bottle exploded in our pantry. There were small pieces of glass & soda everywhere. We are so lucky it did not explode in front of any people! The bottle had been in the pantry undisturbed for at least 3 days and it had not dropped while in our possession. Heat was not a factor, it was in a pantry at approx 70 degrees. While we are positive that the bottle had not been disturbed for several days, we cannot remember if it was stored upright or on it's side. Don't know if that makes a difference. The bottle was just shards of glass when we heard the explosion and found it. We have purchased this product before with no problems. This was so bizarre and could have been horrific, we want to make sure this does not happen again. We told store personnel, but they did not seem interested and did not write anything down as if to report to headquarters etc. I just now reported the problem to Trader Joes online, so they will be aware of it soon. Thank you,
I have a 1L bottle of Whole Food Sparkling Summer Strawberry Naturally Flavored Mineral Water and a glass shard from the bottle cap threads fell off the bottle. No bottle impact involved prior to event, bottle cap shows no damage but having a piece of glass fall off a bottle made for drinking is very bad. Had I been just opening and pouring it into a cup I wouldn't have noticed the clear glass falling into my cup allowing me to ingest it. Again, the bottle was not subject to any impacts on my part and the thin aluminum bottle cap looks fine, not showing any impact damage.
This is the 2nd grape bottled crush that broke when opening. I'm sure it has nothing to do with my opener because this only happens with Crush grape products. I sent pics of the previous incident ( bar code on the bottle, broken bottle, and lid) only to receive a Customer service email for "additional" feedback. This product needs to be recalled until further investigation has been completed. This company is going to accidentally kill someone with Internal injuries when small pieces of glass are unknowingly Ingested. I love drinking Crush from a glass bottle but I draw the line at drinking glass! This has never happened with glass bottled [REDACTED] and the same opener. Today I poured the contents out through a strainer and found the broken pieces that had broken off into the bottle(see pics) This occurred today 7/27. On July 11th I opened a grape Crush and glass broke off still attached to the alluminum lid. Sending pics doesn't seem to get their attention.
Sodastream Glass Carafe Bottle exploded when I tried to remove the top, cracked leaving massive shards that caused a deep cut in my hand.
1. Product was Bundaberg Ginger Beer (Bundaberg Brewed Drinks PTY LTD, product of AUstralia) 2. I used it ([REDACTED]) 3. I was opening the bottle of ginger beer and the resistance of pulling the lid tab to open it caused the drink to slip. The bottom of the lid then sliced two of my fingers as I pulled it off like a razor blade. I bled for a few minutes but was able to get it under control with pressure and bandages.
The cap of a bottle of Fever-Tree tonic water exploded into my face as I began to twist off the cap
I purchased a 6 pack of Schweppes Tonic Water in December 2016, and placed it in a cabinet. On January 21, 2017 I removed it from the cabinet to place some in the refrigerator. One of the bottles exploded. The only remaining identifiable pieces were around the cap and attached to the label, the rest of the bottle was completely splintered. As I was barefoot, there were shards in my feet, hands and face. Most did not penetrate, however as I removed some small pieces from my eyelid and face, and I still have some concerns. Also, I am still picking glass out of my hands. The rest of my body was covered by clothing.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to glass soft drink bottles on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are glass soft drink bottles?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, glass soft drink bottles have a danger score of 31/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,342 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from glass soft drink bottles?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 3,891 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from glass soft drink bottles increasing or decreasing?
Down 27% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for glass soft drink bottles injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 6,476 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by glass soft drink bottles?
Of all ER visits involving glass soft drink bottles, approximately 3.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with glass soft drink bottles?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Containers & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 31/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.