I have always felt that fireworks should not be on sale to the general public

swingaloo

DomRavioli wrote: »

Maybe engage brain next time.

How rude!

As for the post about banning cars because they are dangerous, cars are useful and necessary which is more than you can say for Fireworks.

Pollycat

DomRavioli wrote: »

Well you keep on finding that hard to believe. If you wish to come to my house to inspect my hand or my medical records, do feel free to let me know when you're arriving; banning things only leads to a black market, and makes things more dangerous.

Maybe engage brain next time.

I think you'll find my brain was engaged.
I at least understood what the petition was about.

Dird

tea_lover wrote: »

No, but we do put sensible precautions in place like not selling them to children and expecting people to have a licence and training before driving one, ie - their use is restricted
The petition talks about restricted sale and use of fireworks, not banning them altogether.

What the petition is demanding is a ban on fireworks to anybody but councils/licensed operators. Effectively a ban for the general public.

Sensible precautions are already in place. Fireworks can't legally be sold to children. The 2 areas I've lived in in the last few years have followed the time deadlines (e.g. 11pm-midnight besides things like NYE).
The government doesn't take good precautions for driving also. My grandad should never have been driving in his 60s, feared for my life at T-junctions. No limit on engine size for new drivers. No motorway training. No death penalty for texting behind the wheel of a moving vehicle

thedogsmum

It would help greatly if the fireworks noise level was reduced. The bangs are what frightens animals, and people the most. I can't see what value the very loud noise has?

teddysmum

I've signed, although fireworks don't actually impact on my life.


Home fireworks are very expensive and poor quality compared to a professional display, where there are strict safety measures in place.


They are also dangerous, even if people are sensible. I still remember my little sister just escaping serious injury, when a 'jumping jack' ,from a box donated by my mother's employer, went off course and ended up inside her cardigan. Only quick thinking by my father saved her . There also lots of tales about rockets , propped up in containers, knocking over the container and flying towards people and Catherine wheels flying off their fixing.


My biggest concern though is for animals. Lots of distressed owners post on forums, at this time of year, as their pets are terrified by the noises, which are no longer restricted to one day, but go on for days on either side of November 5th, as well as at any other 'festival' (birthday, religious event, party etc) time through out the year.

Kynthia

Should we ban alcohol because some people misuse it? The benefits of alcohol probably don't out weigh the downsides and consequences of misuse or excessive use? However why should millions of responsible people be denied something?

I do think more should be done to enforce the laws we have regarding fireworks, such as apart from less than a handful of dates a year they shouldn't be set off after 11pm, and people who use them as a weapon or dangerously be prosecuted. If it isn't the law that individuals should only set them off on private property, rather than in the street or in parks, then I think it should be.

I'd also consider duscussing or signing a petition for new restrictions to be considered:
Perhaps they could be made less loud, or the ones sold to individuals could be?
Perhaps only licensed organisations could use them throughout the year and individuals would be restricted to certain periods of time (we have to consider other cultures have dates for their use too in this as Guy Fawkes and New Year aren't the only traditional dates)?

Tammykitty

tea_lover wrote: »

Since when have fireworks been anything to do with Halloween??

In Northern Ireland, we have always had fireworks for Halloween


I can remember getting fireworks (From the local market - as they weren't legal at the time, so couldn't get them in shops) in the 80's and 90's


We don't really mark 5th November at all.

ilikewatch

teddysmum wrote: »

My biggest concern though is for animals. Lots of distressed owners post on forums, at this time of year, as their pets are terrified by the noises, which are no longer restricted to one day, but go on for days on either side of November 5th, as well as at any other 'festival' (birthday, religious event, party etc) time through out the year.

But people choose to keep domestic animals despite (mostly) being well aware that there will be fireworks set off throughout the year and that these will frighten and distress their animals.

I would love to have a dog, but I accept that in the area where I live fireworks are frequently used and it would be extremely unfair of me to keep an animal which might be upset by this.

Personally I have far more of an issue with someone who lives in an area where there are frequent fireworks, then chooses to get a pet which they know is likely to be terrified by them.

Person_one

Kynthia wrote: »

Should we ban alcohol because some people misuse it? The benefits of alcohol probably don't out weigh the downsides and consequences of misuse or excessive use? However why should millions of responsible people be denied something?

A more relevant example would be banning alcohol for consumption st home and only selling it at licensed premises under tighter controls.

To be honest, not such a terrible idea, and probably what would happen if alcohol were 'invented' today rather than having been part of our culture for centuries so too engrained to stand any realistic chance of ever being banned.

I don't think being 'denied' the usually disappointing experience of slightly rubbish shop bought fireworks sputtering for a few minutes in your back garden once a twice a year is a particularly cruel thing to happen anyway!

Person_one

ilikewatch wrote: »

But people choose to keep domestic animals despite (mostly) being well aware that there will be fireworks set off throughout the year and that these will frighten and distress their animals.

I would love to have a dog, but I accept that in the area where I live fireworks are frequently used and it would be extremely unfair of me to keep an animal which might be upset by this.

Personally I have far more of an issue with someone who lives in an area where there are frequent fireworks, then chooses to get a pet which they know is likely to be terrified by them.

Even in rural areas there are people setting off fireworks for weeks at a time these days. If nobody could get a cat or dog if they might ever hear fireworks, nobody would be able to have one at all.

I'm sure it must have a negative impact on wildlife and livestock as well, not just domestic pets.