What’s your take on banning fireworks?

[GBJ]

Fairly topical, would you be in favour of a ban on the sale of fireworks to the general public?

Personally, I would. I’d rather they were limited to licenced displays & shows only.

The distress, anxiety & suffering it can cause towards animals, is ****ing appalling, and that’s before we even get to the fact of kids behaving like little ****s with them.

The hypocritical thing is, I’ve bought them numerous times over the years, and always enjoyed them. It’s always a great night if you’ve got all the family together (especially if you’ve got youngsters)

But now I question, Is there a justification for the general public to use them? Is that momentary enjoyment worth the suffering that thousands of people/animals have to endure?

I can’t find one.

 

[Ricey]

I’ve bought them numerous times in the past but no longer do it as I don’t think it’s fair on my dog who this year has suffered, or my neighbours animals. Went to a show instead this year and left it at that.

I would be happy for them banning the public buying them and leaving it to displays and shows only. I just can’t see it happening though.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Poxy bloody things. Organised licensed displays only and no later than 10pm.

It's no longer one day, the fireworks "season" runs from mid-October to mid-November, not to mention idiots have them on their birthday, at Christmas an on NYE. On Halloween around my way, police were called as teens were throwing them at people.

 

[OldBlueLady]

The problem is that the old fashioned "garden" fireworks that I remember from my young days are a million miles away from the pyrotechnic explosions that people can easily buy and use at home now.

I've argued with a few people recently on other social media who, in their ignorance, were going on about the amount of fireworks on the weekend of 26th/27th October. It is important to recognise that not all fireworks are for Guy Fawkes or New Years Eve and that there are other festivals and traditions that call for them to be used.

Go back to simpler days, remove the high level explosive noises, make them more of a visual thing, with a bit of fizz rather than a huge bang. That would suit all of these festivals, but I do think there should be tighter controls on buying them too.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Diwali was one day too, there is no excuse for having them on a random Thursday night in October.

 

[Southminster Shrimper]

Don't do anything for me. I enjoyed the ones at DisneyWorld Magic Kingdom & Epcot, but that's about it.

What annoys me is those who get annoyed with fireworks going off ones a year are sometimes the ones with annoying dogs barking every day!

 

[Ex-Member1]

Banning the sale would probably only drive the availability underground to the black market. It wouldn't stop idiots firing off rockets from their bum cracks for example, I fear.

 

[GBJ]

Don't do anything for me. I enjoyed the ones at DisneyWorld Magic Kingdom & Epcot, but that's about it.

What annoys me is those who get annoyed with fireworks going off ones a year are sometimes the ones with annoying dogs barking every day!

Dogs are living things. They make noise. Just as babies do, for example.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Diwali was one day too, there is no excuse for having them on a random Thursday night in October.

In much the same way as we do with Guy Fawkes, I don't think you can criticise for having them on the weekend nights, though I do agree Thursday was taking it a bit far.

 

[GBJ]

Banning the sale would probably only drive the availability underground to the black market. It wouldn't stop idiots firing off rockets from their bum cracks for example, I fear.

Sadly, this might well be the case. IIRC, the current laws surrounding fireworks state that you can be fined £5k, and/or banged up for 6 months, for using/selling fireworks illegally. Maybe upping those figures might dissuade some

With any kind of new legislation, you would hope that the majority of the general public would accept it.

 

[MK Shrimper]

In much the same way as we do with Guy Fawkes, I don't think you can criticise for having them on the weekend nights, though I do agree Thursday was taking it a bit far.

Why? I don't understand this argument. Most people celebrate Christmas on the 25th December. Unless you're terminally ill, there's not much of an argument having it in November.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Why? I don't understand this argument. Most people celebrate Christmas on the 25th December. Unless you're terminally ill, there's not much of an argument having it in November.

You've just answered yourself there though. Maybe relatives could only visit on that day, maybe someone was working the day it should have been, or on shifts - there are plenty of reasons.

Kev's celebrated Christmas Day a day or two late when he was working in the prisons, and I know plenty of families with nurses in who've done the same.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I don't buy fireworks and only attend organised shows.

However I wouldn't let the fact that some people choose to own animals prevent me from exercising my right to do whatever I want to do which may at some point include drunken late night fireworks parties.

Obviously show a bit of consideration but your animal, your problem.

If police dogs can be trained to jump through hoops of fire there is no excuse for responsible pet owners not to prepare their animals for UK life.

 

[GBJ]

I don't buy fireworks and only attend organised shows.

However I wouldn't let the fact that some people choose to own animals prevent me from exercising my right to do whatever I want to do.

Obviously show a bit of consideration but your animal, your problem.

If police dogs can be trained to jump through hoops of fire there is no excuse.

That’s the point, no?

The current problem is people & their animals are suffering, because other people are exercising their right to do whatever they want to do.

The only logical solution, would be to find a compromise, such as, if you want to be dazzled by bright lights & loud noises, do so at an appropriate venue.

Luckily, my dogs aren’t fazed by fireworks, so I don’t have to endure the **** that some owners do. But nevertheless, their welfare has, and always will come above the wants of people who choose to be pig ignorant.

 

[RobM]

"Sadly, this might well be the case. IIRC, the current laws surrounding fireworks state that you can be fined £5k, and/or banged up for 6 months, for using/selling fireworks illegally. Maybe upping those figures might dissuade some"
If there's not enforcement, the penalty doesn't matter. A bit like texting while driving.

 

[GBJ]

"Sadly, this might well be the case. IIRC, the current laws surrounding fireworks state that you can be fined £5k, and/or banged up for 6 months, for using/selling fireworks illegally. Maybe upping those figures might dissuade some"
If there's not enforcement, the penalty doesn't matter. A bit like texting while driving.

Eh? Thousands of people are prosecuted for using a mobile phone whilst driving, on a daily basis.

Infact, compare the early laws/punishments for using a phone whilst driving, to today’s legislation. As the public awareness of the issue rose, so did the perceived severity of the crime, and therefore the penalties also increased, along with the number of arrests

They can’t catch everyone, granted, but you’d be forgiven for believing that it’s probably easier to catch some berk setting off ****ing artillery in his back garden, rather than someone sending a crafty WhatsApp message whilst waiting at the lights.

 

[RobM]

"Eh? Thousands of people are prosecuted for using a mobile phone whilst driving, on a daily basis"

That might be the case but I see people texting in their cars every day. How many people are killed by fireworks?

 

[MK Shrimper]

It's a bit comparing apples & oranges here. Yes texting whilst driving kills, as does falling off a ladder.

I can't find UK figures, but in the US in 2017 there were 8 deaths (miniscule) but nearly 13000 injuries - in a population of 250 million that again is tiny, and probably on a par with people injuring themselves putting their socks on - and remember the 4th July is a big deal in the US.

Fireworks are an extreme annoyance, bonfire night has lost it's entire meaning historically (no one burns a Guy Fawkes on the bonfire) and not many people are aware of what exactly they're celebrating.

 

[GBJ]

That might be the case but I see people texting in their cars every day. How many people are killed by fireworks?

Maybe you should stop peeping into other peoples cars, and keep your eyes on the road?

As for fireworks killing people, no, but nearly 4500 people had to go to hospital last year due to firework injuries, which is double the 2009/10 figure of, 2100 people.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....ic-pictures-warning-doctors-a8618646.html?amp

And of course, those figures don’t take into account the amount or suffering that people or their pets go through.

 

[GBJ]

Fireworks are an extreme annoyance, bonfire night has lost it's entire meaning historically (no one burns a Guy Fawkes on the bonfire) and not many people are aware of what exactly they're celebrating.

Precisely.

There simply is no thought behind it.

Believing that you need fireworks to make your party/festival/evening a success, is no different from me selfishly believing that I need to let off smoke bombs at Roots Hall, in order to visually confirm my excitement & joy.