Can you imagine New Year’s Eve without the fireworks? It would never work. Fireworks are such a key part of the festivities. Different European countries may have different New Year’s Eve traditions (such as eating twelve grapes, or singing Auld Lang Syne) but firework displays at midnight are almost universal.
Which is not to say, however, that overly-enthusiastic citizens should be able to set up their own unregulated firework display in the street. Most European countries already restrict powerful fireworks to regulated public displays set up by professionals. Some countries, such as Ireland, only allow the least-dangerous fireworks for sale to the general public.
Each New Year’s Eve, there are thousands of firework-related injuries across Europe. This year, a Dutch father and his 4-year-old-son were killed when fireworks started a fire in an apartment building. Support for a partial ban on consumer fireworks is growing in the Netherlands (with the Dutch Health Minister saying “I always enjoy fireworks a lot myself, but when I see police car after police car driving by, I think: this is a tradition that needs to change.”).
In the UK, a petition to ban fireworks for general sale to the public has reached over 300,000 signatures. A similar number signed a petition in Australia to cancel the New Year’s Eve firework display in Sydney, in the wake of the bushfires that have been raging since September 2019.
Critics of a ban, however, argue that it would be ineffective. Banning the public sale of fireworks would fuel a black market in illegal fireworks, they say, possibly resulting in even more injuries because it would be completely unregulated.
Should fireworks be banned for private use? Should their sale be restricted to professionals for regulated public displays? Or would that just fuel a black market in illegal fireworks? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
29 comments Post a commentcomment
Yes
The quieter version should be probably okey, but the loud ones ought to be banned
Along with other small bombs which some uses in new years eve.
You are late, long time ago should do that, every New year hospital are busy because of accidents
true but I do worry for the small ones the adults can take there own risks
No. Limit the noise levels.
They absolutely should be banned. Too much damage for health. Adults, children, animals. It’s dangerous.
Yes
Pretty much everything in life should be banned, and the ban enforced through threat or use of violence, except labor and worship of government.
You can ban fireworks, but it is especially important to ban the missiles!
What missiles?
Not… if they comply Euro 6 norms, or even lower if they pay a congestion tax accordingly, if they are being shot by upper class or if they cover all spectrum of rainbow colours.
Really??
Firework should be banned for private use and public use
Not, why?
YES, PLEASE BAN IT! Drones, laser/lights and music/sound effects do it better and animals (including us) will not suffer with noise, vibrations and accidents.
https://youtu.be/Zh3-Mvrp1Lc
yes
yes
Of course…and ban shouting, clapping…singing etc….I’m fact, turn is all into robots & be done with it !
No
Not all of them
I’m sorry but the f***ing q asked about fireworks not mislies
I don’t f care
All fire works should be banned
I have a dog and she is terrified
Yes! Ban them for public use and only let professionals use them. Teens in my area are using them to harass people letting fireworks off at random hours during the night. Not only that but they aim them at the houses and seem to find it really funny to set them off under cars. Also my cat is terrified of fireworks. Whenever they go off he hides for hours! Even if I shut the windows, he can still hear them and is terrified.
Yes they should be banned as they also cause air and noise pollution and they are harmful. One time, two naughty children added stones which were in Indian firecrackers in a food dish and when my brother ate it he started vomiting in the garden. I say ban firecrackers and never use them again.
I’ve just had to complain on our local FB page about yet more fireworks going off. They’ve been going off randomly for well over three weeks. My poor dogs barks and shakes like mad every time. The response – “stop being so miserable other people have lives” I have a life too but I cant walk my dogs in the evening for fear of random fireworks. I cant do anything apart from comfort my dog when they go off so it affects my life but other peoples random pleasure is more important and I’m told I’m just an attention seeker. About time they were banned apart from public displays
If they do some small fireworks that’s fine just not any of the big ones because those are most likely to cause the injuries