Question of the Day: Saturday, December 28, 2019

[jcat]

There are just a few days till New Year's Eve, so let's talk about fireworks. Are they legal for private individuals to buy and use where you live? Do you set them off?

They couldn't be sold in Pennsylvania, USA, where I grew up, but a few people purchased them in other states and set them off on New Year's Eve.

They're legal in Germany, where I live now, and can be sold from today through Tuesday. Public opinion polls show that just over half the population wants them to be banned for environmental and animal welfare reasons. A few major cities have outlawed their use in center cities due to fires and injuries, and some retail chains no longer sell them.
German fireworks sales fizzle on climate anxiety

I'd like to see them banned altogether, or at least restricted to short public displays run by professionals. How about you?

 

[verna davies]

I live in the UK and once they are in the shops, can be bought legally by anyone over the age of 18.
Whilst they can be very pretty IMO I think they should only be allowed at organised gatherings where the club etc has to get a licence and then only on Bonfire Night here. At least then people can prepare for the noise if the have young children or animals that get scared. Either that or banned completely. There are always a couple of idiots ( I use the term wisely) around me that set them off several evenings throughout nov and dec. Just last night someone close let off three that were nothing more than very loud bangs, what was the point? Apart from being expensive they are extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

I'm in the UK and grew up with fireworks in the garden for bonfire night. My three older kid's had the same, unfortunately my youngest has only been to displays. This is because in the 9 year's between children thing's seemed the change more idiots setting them off before and after bonfire night. Were I live there will be fireworks for new year's and that will carry on for a few nights with idiots again. I sound so grumpy but I think unless it's a display get rid of them. The public shouldn't be allowed to buy them.

 

[Mother Dragon]

They're legal here in Texas but can only be sold starting ten days before July 4 and Christmas. The city has banned them but I'm in the county.

They're fine with me as long as they're fired safely, but I'm not going to burn up my money that way.

 

[denice]

I don't know what the fireworks laws are in Ohio. I know they were very restrictive but there was a push to try to loosen the laws. Fireworks aren't really a part of New Year's here just July 4.

 

[Mia6]

It's legal to buy them in Ohio but illegal to use them.

 

[Maria Bayote]

In my country I think there are certain laws about selling and buying fireworks and firecrackers. But usually many do not follow. Even a number of policemen fire their issued firearms during the welcoming of the New Year, and there are always scores of innocent victims being rushed to hospitals or have died due to stray bullets. So we always make it a point that we are all INSIDE our homes during New Year celebrations.

 

[di and bob]

They are legal here in Nebraska where I live, I think it is a city ordinance thatb allows them. The city provides a closed off street downtown for people to gather on New Years eve too, and sets off some at midnight. I would have been there when I was younger! I would like to see all fireworks banned and confined to public displays too. Every single year someone gets killed or maimed, and someone's house burns down. The fires they start is just not worth it.

 

[denice]

It's legal to buy them in Ohio but illegal to use them.

That makes perfect sense to someone I guess.

 

[di and bob]

I wonder if it has to be an approved city ordinance, like ours? Some towns can't have them.

 

[Winchester]

We're now allowed to buy bottle rockets and Roman candles in Pennsylvania, but only through B/M stores. There are a plethora of pop-up tents that crop up right before July 4th; they are not allowed to sell anything over 50 milligrams of explosive material. So they can sell the standard sparklers and such, but that's it. Does that stop anybody from setting them off?

No. Usually starting around the end of June to the beginning of August, we deal with the M80s, huge displays of regular fireworks in the neighborhood (that would rival some community displays), large Roman candles, and the like. I don't mind fireworks overall, but every single weekend and sometimes during the week gets to be a bit much. And then the next day, we can go out and clean the pool of debris. And it doesn't matter if we're in a rainy month or a drought. The fireworks must go off. We've actually worried about fires during July when it's so dry you can hear the grass crunch under your feet.

 

[rubysmama]

I don't know the legalities about them around here, but this thread has reminded me that my new next door neighbours like fireworks and will probably be setting some off New Years Eve. Since I'll likely be asleep at midnight, they'll probably wake me.

Last summer on Canada Day they set them off after I was in bed, and because it was summer and my window was open, the noise was insanely loud and scared Ruby who was sleeping on my bed with me. So, yeah, I'd be on board for banning them for backyard use.

 

[Mia6]

That makes perfect sense to someone I guess.

I think it's strange. My neighbors start shooting them off around the last week of June and it doesn't
stop till a week after the 4th. This past year I went off and called the police, I was calling them every night.
I even called the Chief of Police during the day. They could never catch them doing it. I had very little
rest that entire period. They all knew it was me but at that point in time I didn't care.

 

[mightyboosh]

I live in the UK and once they are in the shops, can be bought legally by anyone over the age of 18.
Whilst they can be very pretty IMO I think they should only be allowed at organised gatherings where the club etc has to get a licence and then only on Bonfire Night here. At least then people can prepare for the noise if the have young children or animals that get scared. Either that or banned completely. There are always a couple of idiots ( I use the term wisely) around me that set them off several evenings throughout nov and dec. Just last night someone close let off three that were nothing more than very loud bangs, what was the point? Apart from being expensive they are extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.

I'm in the UK and grew up with fireworks in the garden for bonfire night. My three older kid's had the same, unfortunately my youngest has only been to displays. This is because in the 9 year's between children thing's seemed the change more idiots setting them off before and after bonfire night. Were I live there will be fireworks for new year's and that will carry on for a few nights with idiots again. I sound so grumpy but I think unless it's a display get rid of them. The public shouldn't be allowed to buy them.

Ditto the above.

Isn't it ironic that there are firework restrictions of varying sorts in the US but you can buy guns in a supermarket and do a mass shooting if so inclined.

 

[verna davies]

Ditto the above.

Isn't it ironic that there are firework restrictions of varying sorts in the US but you can buy guns in a supermarket and do a mass shooting if so inclined.

The world is a strange place.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

They are allowed here only for the 4th of July and New Years. People used to get them and bring them in state anyway. I don’t care to set them off myself; but I’ll watch. People were lighting them where we parked for the city’s 4th display (an old malls parking lot). They were nice unless you were downwind. I just hope people cleaned up after themselves. They were at least watching where they set them up.

 

[maggiedemi]

I assume they are legal here now because the neighbors have been setting them off for the past several years. It's so annoying because they do it when I am in bed and it scares the cats terribly. And they do it for weeks around July 4th. I don't know if they do it at New Years. I hope not. I think they should only be set off at official gatherings away from homes.

 

[Jem]

They are legal here, but we do have by-laws that make it so you can't set them off other than on a "holiday weekend". I do believe you can get a permit to be able to set them off for a special (non-holiday) event, ex: wedding, birthday...etc. But I'm not sure on that. We live in a smaller town, many people use them for holidays but it is very rare that I hear them go off outside of a holiday weekend. Also, everyone seems to have the same timing for using them. They will start to go off around 10 pm or just a bit earlier, and most are done by 11 PM, so it's not too much of an inconvenience, at least in my neighborhood.

 

[Talien]

Michigan doesn't seem to care. I don't actually know if they're illegal or not because a lot of people use them and there seem to be no consequences.

 

[sweet jane flash]

While pyrotechnics are beautiful, the unhealthy air they leave behind is very problematic. Also many animals end up in shelters frightened by the sounds. We have had the technology for decades to create beautiful displays of light and color. Happy New Year!