Plastic surgeons are calling for a ban on consumer fireworks and a crackdown on illegal fireworks as more teens suffered life-changing injuries.

Some 90% of firework injuries this year were due to illegal fireworks and half of those needing plastic surgery were 18 or under, the association of plastic surgeons NVPC said.

“Surgeons have had to amputate five hands, 18 fingers and six thumbs,” plastic surgeon Annekatrien van de Kar said. “Injuries to the hands are often combined with burns, facial injuries and broken bones. These explosives have disastrous results and the fact that children still have access to them is incomprehensible,” she said.

Plastic surgeons treated some 62 people after this year’s New Year festivities, compared to 54 last year. In 75% the victims lit the fireworks themselves while 13% were bystanders. Most victims were treated on New Year’s Eve but 16% got hurt before December 30.

The injuries are permanent and life-changing, particularly for young victims, Van de Kar said. “We not only need a ban but greater awareness of the dangers of illegal fireworks,” she said.

Amsterdam and Rotterdam mayors, and national police chief Janny Knol have all called for a national ban on fireworks following a number of serious incidents during the New Year festivities, including two deaths.

Consumer fireworks are banned in 19 cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, but the ban was widely ignored, and firework sales went ahead as usual.

“There is a firework ban in a number of councils but you can still buy them and they are still set off,” Knol said. “A ban would be a good first step.”

“A local ban has no chance of success as long as the government does nothing to stop the sale [of fireworks], and is giving consumers the wrong signal,” Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said. Rotterdam mayor Carola Schouten and Utrecht’s Sharon Dijksma made similar appeals.

A survey by Ipsos last month revealed that 57% of the population would vote in favour of a ban in a referendum. Some 60% of people taking part in the RTL panel said they backed a ban, as did 64% of people taking part in the EenVandaag survey.

However there is no majority support for a ban in parliament and prime minister Dick Schoof told the AD on Tuesday the coalition has no plans to bring in legislation to introduce such a measure.