To think fireworks and firework displays should become a thing of the past?

[Spockynocky]

I love fireworks but if we are all being asked to do our part regarding the climate crisis I think councils should stop putting on displays and fireworks shouldn’t be sold for home use.

They’re wasteful in terms of cost when councils struggle to remain solvent. They’re a hazard both physically and psychologically for wildlife and pets.

They look pretty but so do a lot of things that are damaging the environment. I think councils should use the fact that for the last few years covid restrictions have meant displays have been cancelled to make this permanent. The bonfires at these displays are also damaging to the air quality and wildlife. I think we need to change how 5th November is remembered. I also think that Light Nights also are so wasteful. Especially with the cost of electricity. Our council have just put one on with the theme of Back To Nature. It seemed rather incongruous to celebrate the natural world which is under threat from mans use of fuel to light up the city.

I love 5th November and light night. They brighten a miserable time of year but think they’re no longer viable or responsible.

I would be happy to only have organised displays, but they should be affordable for people, and be large enough for everyone to attend, otherwise, even if the sale of the were banned, people will just buy them on the black market.

Where I am, there used to be a big organised display, it went on for at least 30 years I know of. The council about 15 years ago started doing a few free ones a year, once when the lights were switched on, once around the 5th November and another close to Christmas.

They always avoided the same date as the private one, however about 6 years ago, they decided to start putting the free one on at the same time as the private one. 3 years ago, the private one ended as obviously attendance had dropped massively as everyone was just going to the free one.

Fast forward to this year, the council have said no firework displays due to covid and the costs involved. So they effectively closed the one affordable one by directly competing against it, and now aren't having any themselves.

We now have one display this year, which is private, and is actually on 31st October. It is £7 a ticket (for any age, under 1's go free), has multiple food trucks and a fairground. It sold out in 10 minutes. 2 years ago when it was first on, all the rides were £5 per person, a can of coke was £3, a cheap burger or hot dog was £6. It costs an absolute fortune for a family to spend a couple of hours there.

When that happens, of course people are going to buy their own to use at home.

As for environmental concerns, behave yourself. Unless you have a heat pump installed as your heating source, solar panels that generate enough power to run your home, and an EV that also runs from the solar panels, then a night in watching Netflix, or a trip to the supermarket in your car probably does more damage than setting a box of garden fireworks off.

@KingsleyShacklebolt

Of course they shouldn't be banned. The sale of fireworks has been greatly restricted over recent years, but every year we get the same moaning.

Fireworks are colourful, joyous and FUN.

This. And part of our autumn traditions. One of my favourite celebrations.

I agree that fireworks should be restricted to a certain part of the calendar and licensed (only for public displays). I have seen more than one near miss in home displays! I don’t go out and enjoy them anymore due to staying with my dog and but understand other folks joy.

Whilst generally not in favour of banning stuff even if it's stuff I don't like...

Fireworks is something I can see a case for (and I like fireworks myself, the louder and sparklier the better).

But whilst they are colourful and joyous and fun for me... the fear they can cause in others, both human and animal, I just don't think is worth it.

Other scary things can be avoided to at least some degree, you can avoid going on roller coasters, no one's forcing you to spend time in a room with a clown or a balloon, you can move away from a dog...

But fireworks you can't predict, and you can't get away from.

I'd settle for very strict control:

Only permitted for professional use:
Only on set days which are published across various forms of media.
Licences for use only granted for particular days and venues and venues have to meet criteria like not being within half a mile of a farm or stables or similar.

Then those who like fireworks can go and watch them, and those who don't stand some chance of avoiding them in some way and know when they will start and when they will end.

It is always far easier to deal with something scary if you know when it is happening and when it will end.

That still leaves our wildlife and animals not directly under the close supervision of a person (Cattle, sheep, horses) at risk but it would reduce the risks significantly compared to the current situation.

It would also mean it would be easier to deal with those letting off fireworks illegally - sellers and buyers could be tracked, being caught with fireworks you have no licence for could carry a hefty penalty (as being caught with explosives you have no licence for does now) - those letting off fireworks that then cause a person or animal to be injured would have the necessary insurance to cover that, again something that doesn't happen when the general public can use fireworks!

Restricted yes but not banned. I live in a seaside area that survives on tourism , whilst my income does not rely on that at all I am very conscious that the area does.

As such in the winter months they hold seafront open air fireworks. Its a huge draw and a much needed revenue stream. After 2 years of decimating the towns incomes they are much needed.

I think like most things this is being viewed through a single, somewhat privileged lense. Banning something that does not affect you without considering its affect on another is short sighted and a bit entitled.

In my town there are genuinely people trying to eat and keep a roof over their head. Easy to wax lyrical about seemingly frivolous things when they are frivolous to you but an income for others.

I feel much more strongly about it than I did, after researching how fireworks are actually produced by child and forced labour in poor countries. It’s a very dangerous job. It’s clear to me now that all fireworks should be banned. We can use light shows instead.

@daisypond

I feel much more strongly about it than I did, after researching how fireworks are actually produced by child and forced labour in poor countries. It’s a very dangerous job. It’s clear to me now that all fireworks should be banned. We can use light shows instead.

You do know some fireworks are made in the UK, and don't use forced or cheap labour? Do you think all electronics and cheap clothing should be banned too as some are made in Bangladesh and China using forced and cheap/child labour?

In Llandudno they have a big fireworks display on the pier. It fills the hotels that weekend

There's been uproar where I am as there's been idiots setting them off at 2/3/4/5am for ages!

We've also had a few incidents of idiots setting them off during daylight hours - what even is the point of that EXCEPT to harass and distress people and animals?!

This has been going since mid September so by the time the sales stop in November or reduce that'll be 2/3 MONTHS worth

The workers, parents of young dc, dog owners and farmers have had enough!

Personally I think they certainly shouldn't be sold for home use and at the very least should be limited to being sold to vetted and registered people for display use.

I believe you can get silent ones now? Which would address the main problem people are complaining of here but obviously not all.

The farmers and horse owners are complaining about when animals have been harmed by them being set off nearby and injuring the animals when not done so in a safe way (there's even been suspicion that in some cases this was deliberate)

Council and police have been utterly Fucking useless! And that's also irritating people. They're not dealing with the culprits even when there's multiple reports with those reporting identifying the culprits clearly

Being from a catholic family I've always been somewhat  about "celebrating" it anyway, and certainly nowadays a lot of people think guy Fawkes and his pals had a wee point! (Somewhat lighthearted not actually advocating blowing up people)

@Whinge wondering if you live near me...midlands so no! Just goes to show it's not a regional thing then

lighting them and throwing them in shops/cars/nursing homes.

yep! Disgraceful, harassing and downright dangerous behaviour!

@DumplingsAndStew and some dogs for various reasons no matter how much training will always be badly affected. I know people that work with rescue dogs who've often come from aggressive/violent previous homes no amount of training will make them ok with fireworks

Should make it an offence to allow children to have access to them too - too many adults here but them to give to kids to muck about with! They're not toys!!

@BuffyFanForever it's NOT just pets it's wildlife and farm animals are affected too, they can't "just be kept indoors" can they?

And it's not just the noise affects them either, they get burnt, accidentally eat the debris etc

Agree. We are going to have to make some big concessions to climate change and this seems like an obvious one. I think licensed displays only for a bit but even that is going to need to go.

They are huge fun when done correctly but if you read the realistic worst case future predictions and the likely impact on the mental health of our children as relatively young adults, it's not worth it.

You do know some fireworks are made in the UK, and don't use forced or cheap labour?
Do you think all electronics and cheap clothing should be banned too as some are made in Bangladesh and China using forced and cheap/child labour?

The vast majority of fireworks are not made in the U.K. They are made in China, India, Guatemala in appalling conditions. Of course, anything made with forced or child labour ought to be banned. If India can ban fireworks - pollution reasons - so can the U.K. Their time has long passed.

I think a few firework displays are not going to make that much difference, there are lots more harmful things we shouldn’t be doing.

but they're part of the human condition.

If they are part of the human condition, does that mean there is something inherently wrong with the people who don't enjoy it in the same way?

Ours raises 40k for local charities. And it's brilliant.

I don't like backyard displays, because there's always a worry that something could go wrong, so prefer to go to an organised display.

Every so often at about 11pm a random firework will go off locally - according to DH who knows about this stuff, it means that the local dealer has had a delivery I suppose its one way of getting the message out.

@Ionlydomassiveones 6637 injuries requiring hospital treatment and 2 deaths in five years.
I would call that many and that's just the ones who sought hospital treatment.

@Maestoso

Fireworks do real harm. Anyone who can't see that is spectacularly lacking in imagination. Not just pets and livestock for which owners have to face the consequences, but wildlife too.

our house rabbits and 2 cats fortunatly dont seem affected by them , but in the november before covid i read in the national papers about a lady who runs a rabbit rescue and one of the bunnies perfectly healthy went into shock from them being set off one night and he was kept in an ourdoors enclosure , even though she brought him in , he couldnt come around and passed on , it gave me a reality check on just how harmful to animals fireworks are . i was so upset for days after reading that , havent been to a display since , thankfully dd now 13 isnt showing any interest in standing around in the freezing cold or pissing rain to watch them anymore , shed rather go to the funfair ,

id like to see only organised displays and silent ones in future

I wonder how people not in favour of restrictions would feel if they had to put up with their sleep being disturbed night after night, due to random fireworks, for a period of 3-4 months? That's what it's like near here - it's not the odd display, it's almost every night, throughout the night.

I like fireworks, but I am so tired (literally!) of having to live with them constantly. Autumn used to be one of my favourite seasons and now I absolutely dread the days drawing in, because it means that firework season is back again. I'm not trying to be the fun police - an organised display would be fine. But I'd really like not to get woken up randomly and fairly constantly. (1am, 2.30am, 4am last night - or rather, this morning).

Silent fireworks? What’s the point of those? And light shows & drones & lasers are simply dreary, that’s not a spectacle at all.
Bonfire night is special, a time when the whole community comes together. In my town, there’s the excitement of everyone heading out to the park at the same time, to enjoy the free (with bucket collections) display put on by the council (sponsored by a local business).

The loud bangs reverberating across the river are an integral part of the experience, along with the heat and flames from the massive bonfire.

If it was only one night a year for the community to come together then I’m sure most people wouldn’t object - but it’s not, as everyone knows.

just about everything is non-essential yet damages the environment if you look hard enough. Televisions, books, musical instruments, paint, fridges, bananas
Not a comparison though. Last time I checked, a violin landing on stables wasn't going to ignite the whole thing burning many horses alive like in my friends yard. Or a book being posted through someone's letterbox, or bananas being tied to animals and set off because some people think it's funny.

I wouldn't mind silent fireworks at all (for proper displays as I think the selling & use of them in private hands should be banned). It's the visual display I like the most, not the noise. Most organised firework displays are set to music nowadays anyway.