By Andy McCormick
November has become reputable for being the month where sparks of light are ignited into the sky, from the infamous ‘remember, remember, the 5th of November’ to people’s cats and dogs scurrying indoors to evade the grating level of noise unleashed outside.
For some, fireworks are a beautiful, fun display for the night. Others are slightly more cautious, calling for greater control and regulations. November itself is being seen as the month of fireworks, rather than its dedicated November 5th Bonfire Night.
One such incident has incited outrage as fireworks were intentionally thrown in the direction of an elderly woman’s pet dog, who later died. Gillian, 86, has been left ‘heartbroken’ describing her dog as her ‘best friend.’
Some students from the University of Gloucestershire have shared their thoughts about the use of fireworks.
‘I have lots of dogs so it’s a case of if they scare animals.’ Ben quoted. ‘Sparklers are fine, but regular fireworks – not into them.’
‘They’re fun to watch, I guess.’ Lisa commented. ‘But if you think about autism and the loud bang, I have some family members with autism so it’s hard for them.’
‘Fun, if a little bit dangerous. They’re not great for the environment and there’s been a lot of accidents surrounding them.’ Phoebe added. ‘I don’t know about banning them though, I don’t think that’ll work – people will still buy them.’
Fireworks still fall under restrictions, with laws set out by the government including the use and sale of fireworks – not just for November, but the whole year too.
So with the law being taken into consideration, why are fireworks seen as such a menace? Perhaps it is fun going too far, but with scares for the environment, plus the harm and distress it may cause to animals and people – it remains open, but not confirmed, about how fireworks will be used in the future.
Between the times of 11pm and 7am, it remains stated that it is illegal to set off fireworks except for ‘certain occasions.’
These exceptions include:
- Bonfire Night
- New Year’s Eve
- Diwali
- Chinese New Year
You can read more about the law on fireworks here: https://www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law
