Paper Bags
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 1128
Down 21% over 5 years
The verdict
Paper Bags carry a danger score of 29/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 624 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 21% over the last five years.
- 29/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 624
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 2.3%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1128 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 29/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for paper bags - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume624 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)2.3%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-21%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Paper Bags (CPSC product code 1128, in the Containers & Packaging category) generate an estimated 624 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 12,470 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 29/100 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 21% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2013 (1,054 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2010 (352 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for paper bags is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 3,004 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the lower trunk (1,235 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,190 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 2.3% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 4 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how paper bags 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 | 573 | 475 | |
| 5-14 | 636 | 261 | |
| 15-24 | 668 | 851 | |
| 25-34 | 1,036 | 1,154 | |
| 35-44 | 650 | 868 | |
| 45-54 | 830 | 849 | |
| 55-64 | 222 | 843 | |
| 65-74 | 399 | 797 | |
| 75+ | 637 | 724 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Hand | Other | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Face | Foreign Body | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
85YOM STATES HE FELL WHILE PICKING UP A BAG OF DOG FOOD, FELL ON HIS BUTTOCKS. DID NOT HIT HEAD.DX: WEDGE COMPRESSION LUMBAR SPINE.
59YOM PRESENTS WITH CHEST PAIN AFTER HE TRIPPED AND FELL ONTO A PAPER BAG FULL OF NEWS PAPERS LANDING ON HIS LEFT CHEST WALL. DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF MULTIPLE RIBS OF LEFT SIDE
70YOF PRESENTS WITH INCREASED PAIN AND SWELLING TO LEFT EYELID AFTER HITTING IT WITH A PAPER BAG WHILE BRINGING IN GROCERIES 2 DAYS AGO DX: SWELLING OF EYELID, STYE
85YOM WAS CARRYING GROCERY BAGS INTO THE HOUSE WHEN HE FELT A POP IN HIS BACK DX RT LOW BACK PAIN
80YOF WAS LEANING OVER TO PICK UP A PAPER BAG OFF THE FLOOR WHEN SHE FELL STRIKING HER LEFT KNEE ON THE WALKER DX: LACERATION KNEE, WEAKNESS
42YOF PRESENTS WITH EVALUATION OF LEFT EYE PAIN THAT STARTED TODAY AT 1 PM; PATIENT STATES SHE HAD A PAPER BAG IN HER HAND WHEN SHE WAS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR AND IN A RUSH, THE EDGE OF THE BAG WENT INTO HER EYE SCRATCHING HER. SHE STATES SINCE THEN SHE HAS HAD EYE PAIN WITH A GENERALIZED HEADACHE AND INCREASED TEARING. DX: CORNEAL ABRASION, PAIN IN EYE
39YOF WAS HANDLING A PAPER BAG AND SUSTAINED A SMALL PAPER CUT TO LEFT MIDDLE FINGER NOW THE AREA IS RED AND SWOLLEN DX: FINGER CELLULITIS
28YOM PRESENTS IN POLICE CUSTODY. PT REPORTS DURING ARREST HE INGESTED A SMALL *** BAG OF FENTANYL. HE REPORTS IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3G. DX: OPIOID OVERDOSE.
27YOM ACCIDENTALLY POKED HIMSELF IN THE RIGHT EYE WITH A PAPER BAG DX: CORNEAL ABRASION
68YOF PRESENTS WITH EYE INJURY AFTER GETTING CUT BY A PAPER BAG. DX: ABRASION TO SCLERA
48YOF HAS PAIN AFTER PT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TEAR OPEN A PAPER BAG THAT WAS TAPED SHUT. DX: PAIN IN RIGHT FINGERS
65YOF, WAS CARRYING A PLATE OF FOOD WHEN TRIPPED OVER A PAPER BAG ON THE FLOOR AND FELL COMPLAINING OF HIP AND RIB PAIN, ON BLOOD THINNER YET WITHOUT EXTERNAL SIGN OF INJURY, DX: FALL, INITIAL ENCOUNTER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
These are green paper gift bags that I purchased in amazon HAI QUAN GREEN GIFT BAGS 50Pcs 8x 4.75X10 inches paper gift bags medium size paper gift bags bulk for shopping ,packing ,wedding, retail ect ect..These bags released such bad intoxicating odors that made me sick too the point that my bones would hurt in my body and I felt lethargic. I have to throw them for the safety of my own I purchased them last week and received them a few days after in June 22nd of 2023. I notified amazon about them but they were careless and neither did they want to refund me and they BLOCKED my bad review about these bags in amazon too. It is as bad as it can be with AMAZON, most of their stuff has intoxicating odors and they never inspect the items that they sell to people. Please inspect ALL the items in AMAZON.
The consumer stated that the bag of popcorn burst into 6" flames 10 seconds after pushing the start button. He saw a big flame inside the microwave through the glass; he turned off the microwave, he opened the door and the popcorn was in flames.He then grabbed a towel and put out the flame. The consumer stated that he purchased individual packaged popcorn. This was the first time they encounter this issue with the same brand of popcorn. The consumer also stated that he went back to the store and purchased individual microwavable popcorn, he placed the popcorn in the microwave using the popcorn feature, after 2 minutes, he took the popcorn out and noticed brown burnt marks underneath the bag. The consumer stated that he was not aware of any damages to his home structure or the microwave and no one was injured. He contacted the manufacturer and they asked him if anyone was hurt. The manufacturer stated that they would mail coupons to the consumer. The consumer believes that this product should be investigated.
Purchased food item from Schlotzky's located in Schertz, Texas on June 13,2018. The left over food, which was two pieces of buttered bread still in the brown bag that Schlotzky's gives to the customer when ordered to go. I placed the bag in our office microwave and set it for 15 seconds. I stopped the microwave with about 3 seconds left by opening the microwave door, the bag was on fire. I removed the bag and put the fire out by slapping my hand on the bag. I immediately called the Schlotzky's location where I purchased the food and explained to the employee who answered the phone. As soon as I told him the bag caught fire he said "oh yea, they will catch on fire" the employee then suggested that he could speak to his manager and see if there was something they could offer me because of what happened and placed me on hold. About 3 to 4 minutes later, the manager picked up the phone and in a very rude tone introduced herself, I'm [REDACTED]. I started to explain again what had happened but she interrupted me by saying "why would you put the bag in the microwave", I continued by telling her that there is nothing printed on the bag that states DO NOT MICROWAVE OR PLACE IN OVEN. She responded by saying "well you should not have put the bag in the microwave". And that was the end of our conversation.
On approx 12/22/2012 I purchased 2 small-medium size target holiday gift bags at the Newburgh, NY Target store. I stored them at home on a table and went to use them the next day. Upon opening them I smelled a strong chemical odor. I sniffed the bags to see what it was and was overcome with an ammonia/mothball type odor. I have none of these chemicals in my home. I left me nauseous and dizzy with labored breathing and a chemical aftertaste in my mouth. I have not seeked medical attention at this point as I feel better today. The illness feeling did last about 1 day and I may still see a doctor. I put the bags outside for several hours to air out and the odor was reduced but it still noticable.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to paper bags on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are paper bags?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, paper bags have a danger score of 29/100 (low risk). An estimated 624 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from paper bags?
The most common injury is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 3,004 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from paper bags increasing or decreasing?
Down 21% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for paper bags injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,190 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by paper bags?
Of all ER visits involving paper bags, approximately 2.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.7%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with paper bags?
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 29/100 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 25-34 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.