Written evidence submitted by Lindsay Harrison (FWS0183)
Fireworks - pretty but too noisy
I love watching fireworks, they are beautiful and amazing!
But, with the advent of firework “cakes” the decibel level available to anyone must now be approaching or equalling that of professional and licenced displays. In fact a high noise level is used as a marketing advantage.
With the increase in decibels, whether at a personal or licenced display, comes greater likelihood of injury, distress or financial loss.
Add to this
● the all year round availability of fireworks
● the trend to celebrate almost any event with fireworks
● the ability to have a firework “party” much more safely for the host and guests through the use of firework cakes
● the expansion of housing in rural areas
And those risks increase hugely.
On a personal level my elderly wheelchair-bound mother was of a nervous disposition and had hyperacusis - acute, painful hearing. When she first moved to this area over 30 years ago the fireworks were infrequent and quieter. In her final years she was frequently disturbed, in pain and frightened by the late night wedding reception displays at a local hotel.
My 8 year old grandson has the same condition so he is frequently woken up by the noise and subsequent pain.
This New Year’s Eve I counted at least 11 displays actually welcoming in the new year, more than ever before. There were other displays earlier and later. One firework was so loud it sounded like a bomb, many were extremely loud. None of these displays were closer than ¼ mile; what it would have been like to live adjacent to any them I dread to think.
I have a friend who breeds horses. She has had horses seriously injured when they were panicked by fireworks. Some have aborted their foals. Veterinary treatment has been expensive. My friend has been injured by a panicking horse and there have been a number of nasty incidents when it has been a miracle that neither horse nor human was injured.
I have no connection to any ex service personnel suffering from PTSD or refugees who have fled conflict but frequently think of them during bonfire night and new year’s eve when it sounds like we are living in a war zone.
As I said, I love fireworks, but this ever increasing desire for louder and louder noise and the total lack of guidance to, control of and responsibility by the people using modern fireworks is seriously lacking and must be tackled with clear, unambiguous laws.