Falling on deaf ears: Stronger fireworks restrictions are long overdue
Stephen Price
Another year, another raft of harrowing news updates of petrified, injured or dead animals – and repeated calls to ban the sale of fireworks for private use falling on deaf ears.
The most harrowing news item that I recall, following bonfire night a few years ago, involved two terrified horses that ran into each other and died while trying in vain to flee the noise of nearby fireworks.
In 2022, Maxine Williams made headline news when her beloved rescue dog, Bronson, bolted from her house, sparking a long and painful search until he was found dead in a ditch five miles from the family’s home.
She said at the time: “He wasn’t clever, he was dopey and lazy. We loved each other and life without him is a horrible thought.
“I’ll never forgive myself for not being home. Unfortunately I wasn’t home to protect him when the fireworks started on Friday night, he opened the door and jumped a 6ft gate in fear.”
As a child of the 80s, collecting for the local bonfire was a months-long task, with breaks only allowed for creating a Guy for some extra pennies, then spending the day after bonfire night playing in the ashes.
Consideration
Our aim was a bonfire of the highest heights, which doubled up as a fortress before its eventual incineration.
Unadulterated joy, so very welcome with the darker colder nights. But joy that comes at a price for others is no longer a joy for me.
And although we hear of fewer accidents caused by fireworks thanks to successful (and downright haunting) educational campaigns from the 70s and beyond, they certainly continue.
As well as inevitable disasters, fires and injuries, there’s also an untold mental health impact for people with sensory issues, people with PTSD, elderly, lonely and intimidated people.
Should it really be acceptable for just anyone to have hold of dangerous explosives for their often costly joy?
So what is being done?
Stores across Wales still sell fireworks in the search of profits over sense and reputation, but a few are bucking the trend and restricting or banning the sale of fireworks – something that our Governments are so scared to do themselves.
Supermarkets will stock what people want to buy. If enough people say they do not want to buy them and they will not use that particular shop whilst they are selling fireworks that would have an impact on the stores.
The Co-op hasn’t sold fireworks since 2014 and Sainsbury’s decided in November 2019 not to sell fireworks. Waitrose also does not sell fireworks.
The Firework campaign has taken 6 government petitions over the all-important 100,000 mark which led to 5 debates in Westminster Hall.
These debates led to:
- The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill.
- The Petitions Committee Inquiry.
- The Office for Product Safety and Standards agreeing to collect data to better inform their statements/replies/decisions.
At the moment they have a current change.org petition, which they are asking supporters to sign and share.
At the time of writing, the petition has over a million signatures which is an extraordinary feat and a measure of the strength of feeling there is over this subject.
The petition calls for:
- Restricting private use (not just purchase) of fireworks to traditional dates such as November 5th, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali.
- Reducing the maximum permitted decibels for private use fireworks from 120, which is above the human pain threshold, to 97.
- Requiring all public fireworks displays to be licensed.
- Requiring fireworks packaging to be labelled indicating the noise level, to allow consumer choice.
But I say this doesn’t go far enough. Why should anyone have the private use of fireworks to let off and cause untold damage and nuisance and possible death and injury?
An outright ban on all but licensed displays is surely the most common sense approach.
Private Members’ Bill
A Labour MP is pushing for new laws to ban fireworks that are louder than a lawnmower and restrict sales to only licensed shops.
Sarah Owen, a former shadow minister, claimed a change to the rules around fireworks was ‘long overdue’.
The Luton North MP pointed to the disruptive effect of fireworks on people trying to sleep, as well as the stress they cause for animals.
She introduced proposed legislation to the House of Commons on Monday 16 October through a Private Members’ Bill.
Ms Owen’s Bill aims to limit the noise level of all fireworks sold to the public to 90 decibels, judged by experts to be equivalent to the sound of a lawnmower, or less.
She also wants to ban sales to the general public, online or in stores, of category F2 fireworks or above.
Ms Owen said: “Change to firework law is long-overdue.
“Though better enforcement of existing law is needed, it is not right that extremely loud rockets and firework fountains can be purchased all year round by the public.
“I have received hundreds of letters and emails from concerned residents, frankly fed up of having their sleep and lives endlessly disrupted.
“Loud fireworks are also a huge cause of stress for pets, and can be distressing people with PTSD, bringing back painful or traumatic memories. It’s time to tighten the rules.
“I look forward to working with animal welfare and veterans charities, as well as MPs from across Parliament, in getting this crucial change through.”
David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “With Bonfire Night approaching, we know many people will be getting excited by fireworks.
“But it’s important they are used responsibly, and consider animal welfare.
“Our legislative framework in this area is long due an update, so it’s really welcome to see this being looked at via a Private Members’ Bill.”
Private Members’ Bills rarely become law unless they receive the Government’s backing, but are often used by backbench MPs to raise awareness of a campaign.
Talk to the wall
Checking the Senedd petitions site, I noticed there’s no current petition out there to ban fireworks, with previous ones failing because this is not a power the Welsh Government holds.
I therefore tried to set up a petition for the Welsh Government to (actually) work with the UK Government on change, but this was rejected as it’s apparently something they’re already doing – I would like to see some evidence of action, however, but here we are.
The Welsh Government has said it is ‘very concerned’ about the effect of loud firework noise on animals and vulnerable people. It believes that, ‘on balance’ the current legislation is insufficient to protect these groups.
Cross-party support has been voiced in the Senedd for stricter regulations on the use of fireworks. However “the Welsh Government does not have any specific powers to control the use of fireworks”.
Our hollow claims to be a nation of animal lovers are wearing thin now. It’s time to do better for them.
And it’s time for the Welsh Government to stop talking (if that’s all it can do) and start demanding – and if the talks continue getting nowhere, to take matters into their own hands and declare powers instead of waiting for them to be granted.
Is it any wonder voters feel so disenfranchised when we’re so often ignored – especially on such common sense matters such as this.
Fireworks can be awe-inspiring and beautiful things, moments of pure joy and wonder – but let’s not kid ourselves and pretend that the budget shop bangs and limp letdowns of our neighbours are worth any human or animal suffering for.
In Maxine’s words: “Why we still inflict this tradition on our pets and wildlife I’ll never understand.”
Write to your local shops and supermarkets.
Sign the latest Firework Campaign petition.
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Excellent article, thank you Stephen Price for some good research.
Ban private use. Organised only, times published in advance and penalties for over running or starting early.
Why not simply remove the bang element from fireworks and make them totally silent? How does that bang and woosh enhance the experience?
Stephen thank you. But I would add it is not only animals who are badly frightened and injured it’s children too. So we do need more control. Keeping fireworks to key dates is a good idea. However I would not want a complete ban on private use. A great many households have enormous delight in small private displays. Surely the important point is the noise. It’s the bangs and loud whooshes that startle and annoy. There are plenty of other aspects – rainbow colours, rains, spins, perhaps rockets and the wonder of sparklers – which need little or no noise.… Read more »
Oh I left out something important. If we ban all private fireworks then we are restricted to passive public entertainment. The whole business of choosing, buying, deciding exactly where to put things, setting up, getting bucket of water for safety, perhaps making jolly food, then moving about relatively freely, maybe taking turns to light a firework, having familiar chairs in your own garden – such a lot of choice and control in creating our own happiness. Standing in a crowd to watch a public display is so passive and helpless – yet another demonstration of how powerful the authorities are… Read more »
Well said. We don’t need or want a Nanny state. Bonfire Night is rooted in our History and part of our Cultural Heritage. Why would I deprive my family of a fun night simply because a few dog & cat owners don’t like it? Bring out the Fireworks.
We get a few weeks leading up and post Nov 5th with gangs roaming the streets letting them off. Then someone is bound to have got their mitts on a rather fruity rocket that shakes the windows when it goes off a few doors up. I keep my pets in in Nov 5. Not all pets are the same. They do not get reassured with the noise and proximity. They do not understand why this is happening and they do not understand why they cannot burrow any deeper into whatever corner they are cowering in. People have stopped being decent.… Read more »
Dogs are potentially dangerous animals, and many owners seem incapable of training their dirty sharp-toothed babies responsibly. Should we ban the keeping of dogs as pets?
I, er, ah, er, ………whut? Fireworks have one use in life, that is to go bang very loud and in a sparkly way. Unfortunately the sparkly bit comes with the bang, sort of hard to separate. Also, unfortunately, people as usual have decided to be dangerous with them many nights of the week leading up to and post 5th. With no regulation of the nights people people let them off, they have become a nuisance and a danger. Does anyone remember why it is done anymore and the religious undertones pushed out for it early on? And how long the… Read more »
No. Just rub the Owners noses in the filthy mess their dogs leave behind because the Owner/s can’t be bothered to bag it & bin it. Disgusting cretins!!!!
That reads like a Facebook post
You must be a dog owner. Next time you step in the public health hazard, or see in hanging from the branch of a tree as happens often where the dog owner has hung it, have a thought for the child who has fallen in it, or the Soul who has slipped on it.
Thank you for a balanced comment. Contemporary political discourse slides too easily from “this could hurt someone” to “ban this thing”, often with a side order of “I don’t enjoy this, so no one else should do it”. It would be very easy to construct a similar argument for banning people from drinking alcohol at home; a practice that causes a great deal of social harm, and even deaths. That’s unlikely to happen because drinking is too popular, but minority activities like home firework displays are more vulnerable. The danger is that well-intentioned efforts to eliminate the harm from society… Read more »
Cyrano Well argued 🙂
Perfectly put. Well said.
Life is hard enough for people as it is, why take away one night of family fun & pleasure? It’s a Cultural event, and millions of people look forward to it. And it’s ONE NIGHT. Stop moaning & go and light a Sparkler; you might actually enjoy yourself!!!