To want fireworks banned from public sale?

[JellyDiamonds]

I'm not a killjoy, but I'm sitting here with a fucking terrified dog. He is not a dog who scares easily, but it sounds like the Blitz out there tonight I've got the TV turned up loud to drown out the sound, I've shut the curtains and he is still cowering in the corner. Not even the lure of a treat is bringing him out.

It's the same every year, selfish fuckers buying bombs to set off in their gardens with little consideration for neighbours with pets and young children. At least pets have shelter from it though, farm animals and wildlife don't.

In fact I hate the entire concept of bonfire night really. Burning a catholic on a bonfire. How is that still acceptable in 2014.

Just go to a public display and stop inflicting this noise on your neighbours please!

LilMissSunshine9 since when has drink driving been legal?!

YABU, I've got pets and grew up with fireworks in my garden on bon fire night. Perhaps only the smaller ones should be sold however.

I have fond memories of fireworks, sparklers and my mum making delicious food for the whole family.

The display fireworks were always louder than the ones we had in the garden. You could hear the displays going off over them.

Always going to be people that disagree though! I'm sure there are lots of people who would like to ban christmas too.

Blue berry - drink driving isn't legal BUT the point is drinking alcohol is legal but with all things that are legal like buying fireworks the misuse by a minor few can have dangerous consequences.

People here moaning about how something perfectly legal like buying and letting off fireworks should be banned to joe public because its too dangerous in joe publics hands and because of the the noise etc. Well ok if that is the case lets ban joe public from drinking alcohol because as the stats show there are far more serious incidents when too much alcohol has been drank than there are regarding fireworks. Sorry joe public cannot have alcohol because too many people are getting drunk and then getting in a car and killing people; drunk people are cuasing fights in the streets and causing injury to innocent people.

That is my point really - that something legal that has the potential to cause harm dones't mean it should be banned it should mean people are educated more in how to use fireworks. Doesn't take a genius to realise that a firework you are buying stating that you need a clearance of 25 metres and your garden is no more than 10 metres long is a firework you should not be buying.

Nor does it a genius to read the instructions on how to safely let them off.

Nor does it a genius to read the instructions on how to safely let them off.

Around 16% of adults in England are functionally illiterate (nearly one in six).

And I have an issue with "lots of other legal things can kill" because all the other things mentioned tend to be fatal only in excess (eg it takes more than one drink to get you drunk enough to drive dangerously, it takes more than one cigarette to give you lung disease, etc) whereas every single firework could cause serious injury or death, and to more than one person.

I've not read anybody arguing that fireworks should be banned full stop, and I certainly wouldn't support that position. They're just arguing that explosives should only be available to licensed persons/bodies.

I'd support a licensing scheme so that you had to apply for your fireworks licence well in advance of a display, and that licence could be revoked if you were found to be using too small an area, lighting them when drunk, or whatever. Organised displays would be unaffected; your dad in his garden who has a small safe display every year would have some minimal admin to do once and then would have to remember to take his licence with him to the shop.

Selling explosives in a supermarket is just nuts.

There is precedent with handguns - a few people spoilt it so now they're very heavily regulated, but those who are interested can still use them under controlled conditions.

There is precedent with rifles - a few people spoilt it so now they're very heavily regulated, but those who are interested can still use them under licence and under controlled conditions.

I always thought it was crazy I could go and buy what is essentially a bomb. But all my friends just think I am being neurotic as I won't watch them unless I am inside (what goes up must come down logic). I am used to being teased about this view x

I bought fireworks for the first time ever yesterday, it was a small pack meant for small gardens. We loved them and they were really safe and not very loud. They were mainly glorious mini sparkling fountains that went up a foot or 2 and the DC s thought I was amazing to get them. They were exciting enough and reasonably safe and no huge scary bangs. I got them from Sainsburys on a whim when I popped in getting sparklers. The box is called sun fire and only cost £5 for 15 fireworks.

I'm totally opposite -- i grew up somewhere where fireworks are way stronger. You actually can see them in the sky. Here you just get sulphur in the air.

YANBU - I agree we should move to public displays only, as they're too dangerous for just anyone to buy.
I went to a lovely village display this year with ds put on by the scouts and guides and it was charming - jacket potatoes with cheese and beans very tasty too :-)
We've never had fireworks at home though my Dad used to do a little display for us in back garden. But it would make me too nervous to enjoy it - even sparklers have me thinking gloves, bucket of water and bucket of sand. And be careful everyone!

The large public displays here are unappealing (was discussing this with some other parents last week). One of the biggest has some 50 000 people, others far less. But they all seem to attract drunks and antisocial behaviour. Not somewhere to take the children.

I do think there ought to be more restrictions on the types of fireworks available on sale to the public though

There are enough restrictions already. And this type of fireworks they sell n shops are the least dangerous

Sorry MrsHathway I disagree with what you are saying.

Fireworks misued or abused are dangerous but fireworks used correctly do not harm/injure people

Drinking to excess (misuse/ abuse) is dangerous too but having one drink or drinking within a limit where you still capable of rational thought means you are highly unlikely to get in a car and drive or start a fight or be antisocial.

It comes down to how people behave to be honest, set up a firework correctly and light it and it goes off ok, hold it in your hand and point it at someone and let it off (compeltely stupid and dangerous). Its the same thing about guns, its not guns that kill it the people using it, its not dogs fault if they bite someone its the fact the owners aren't responsible enough to train them properly or mistreat them or breed them to fight.

If 16% of the populatre are illiterate and therefore cannot understand the instructions of using a firework they then cannot understand instructions on a bottle of alcohol telling them how strong it is nor could they have passed their driving test, nor can they read instructions on how to have a safe bbq etc. all of which has dangerous consequences.

YANBU. I've read through the thread and would love to see fireworks limited to just professionally run displays.

However, I clicked on the link upthread to the e-petition about it, only to find that it closed yesterday and is not accepting signatures.

Why close a petition about fireworks in the middle of the busiest time of year for firework use?

LilMiss, you're saying people using fireworks should be educated to use them properly. MrsHathaway is saying they should be licensed - so only those who understand how to use them properly can use them. Sounds to me like you agree with at least part of what she's saying!

No I was saying it doesn't take a genius to read the instructions on the back of the fireworks as to how they should be used, MrsHathaway then said some people are illiterate and therefore would misuse them but we are talking 16% that is a minority of people. Why should the majority of people suffer because of a minority. That is now how a democracy works.

Besides like I said a long time back clearly there is not enough who think they should be for professional use only as only 2,600 people signed a petition. That is far away from the required number of 100,000 that is required to even be debated. Sorry but plenty of people clearly do not agree that they should be banned from job public.

Love fireworks. I keep my cat in. I dont like dogs and their mess.Keep your dog in and close your windows. Its only for maybe a few nights a year.

I'm in two minds about this one - I LOVE fireworks. I was out for a 6 mile run yesterday evening and got to see lots on the way which was great. Our cats (all safe inside until it's over!) are not bothered by them in the slightest, a couple even like to sit at the window and watch.

On the other hand - my job is answering emergency calls and I was working on Wednesday night. Lots of dogs got spooked and ran off, youths were aiming fireworks at cars and houses (and even at people) and throwing them into wheelie bins, elderly and vulnerable people scared by the noise.

Although I have nothing against people having their own private displays (at a reasonable hour) I honestly can't think of a way that responsible people can buy fireworks that doesn't enable the yobs to do so too - maybe some sort of licensing scheme could be the way to go, a bit like with guns?

Thanks, Charlotte, that's exactly what I was trying to say.

Greengardenpixie it's not as simple as that, they still need to be let out for a wee, taken for walks etc. I thought I would take my dog for a walk while it was still daylight yesterday and some idiots were letting them off when it wasn't even dark. She lay on the floor and wouldn't budge - you try budging a fully grown Labrador when you're 5 months pregnant - not easy!

It's not just about pets either, ds (17 months) was woken 3 times last night, the last being at 11pm, by people letting really loud fireworks off. And there will no doubt be more tonight.

I agree.My dog hates them. It's not just one night it's at least 2 weeks of it. We just went to our local display, amazing fireworks. It'd be much better if this was the norm and the public couldn't buy them.

There were only a couple of thousand who signed as it obviously wasn't very well publicised. here is another one with a few more months to go and over 5000 signatures so far. There are a few different petitions about the same things. All it needs is for one to be well publicised and who knows where it could lead.

I didn't link the best one earlier as it was due to run out too quick. Just because not a lot of people signed it doesn't mean to say not a lot of people want to ban fireworks from public sale.

I do agree though that I wish people would stop moaning about something that they dont like and actually try to do something about it. I have linked to another petition in this post which I have signed and it would be great if other people who agree also signed if they so wished.

I hate loud fireworks, purely cos of all the pets and wildlife. The wild animals must be terrified at this time of year.One of my old dogs used to be so petrified he needed sedating, it was awful. Thankfully my dog now is not too fussed, or the cats.

Ban the loud ones, keep the visual ones but make them quiet, and displays only, no no sale to the public.

There, wouldn't that please everyone?

Seriously OP if you had told me that you want fuewroks banned because someone you know had been injured i could understand.
If it was because I don't know, your house had been damaged. I could understand.
But because your dog is scared, then all the neighbours are inconsiderate?

Personally I'm surprised to see so many if them on sale in the uk. But for safety issues. Having big fireworks going off in a all garden leaves me
But we did that at my PIL who have a farm and I font see that as a big problem.
Note: PIL have farm animals and a couple of sheep dogs. And they haven't had any issue having a huge bomb fire and fireworks. ...

Fireworks are getting on my fucking nerves, I live on a cramped housing estate (I wouldnt have to shout loudly for the people on the next street to hear me) 3 houses down are setting off loads of fireworks in their tiny garden, all fucking week we've had this, wanna shove a firework up someones arse.

People arguing against garden fireworks, due to "noise", makes no sense whatsoever. I've had 2 firework displays near me tonight, and I could feel the ground shaking. And people want to ban those pitiful boxes of fireworks you can buy down Sainsbury's?

And if we're going on the safety angle, then I want dogs phased out Stat! 200,000 people a year bitten in the UK, with over 6,000 hospital admissions. Plus their sh1te being left in parks and on pavements.