More Than 50 Percent Of People Think Private Fireworks Displays Should Be Banned

More than 50 percent of people think private fireworks displays should be banned, a LADbible poll has found.

Of the 17,506 votes cast, 54.6 percent of respondents were in favour of a ban, while 45.4 percent were against it - as if we weren't all sick enough of extremely tight polls at the moment.

PA

One of the main reasons why people are opposed to such displays is due to the impact they have on pets.

The explosions can cause severe distress and anxiety, particularly for dogs, with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) receiving 1,543 calls about this in the last four years alone.

In extreme cases, the results can be tragic - such as when 18-week-old terrier puppy Molly died 'from fright caused by fireworks' last year.

Facebook/Susan Paterson

Kylie Harrison went through the same heartbreak, with her six-month-old puppy Jake also passing away a few days before Bonfire Night last year.

Speaking to LADbible, Kylie said: "This was Jake's first time with fireworks. He was hit and miss with them while the quiet ones was going off.

"Suddenly our neighbours on our street also starting setting their fireworks off and they were much louder. Jake became very frightened and was hiding behind us.

"He started to not appear himself. He took himself off to sleep, while shaking and having a bad dream practically screaming in his sleep. He sadly then didn't wake up."

The RSPCA is one of many animal welfare charities that is campaigning for tougher fireworks regulations, such as limiting private fireworks displays to 5 November, New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali.

The charity fears this year's Bonfire Night could be particularly harmful for animals due to lockdown restrictions.

RSPCA animal welfare expert Dr Mark Kennedy said: "We understand that people enjoy celebrating Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve and other key dates with fireworks and we don't want to spoil the fun.

"Unfortunately, lockdown measures this year mean that very few organised, public displays are likely to go ahead and we suspect this means lots of families will be choosing to have their own displays at home.

"We fear that there will be lots of little displays taking place over weeks and weeks, spreading out fireworks noise and causing prolonged distress for animals.

"We'd urge people to be considerate and keep neighbours with animals, including those with nearby horses and other livestock, informed of plans well in advance so they can make preparations to reduce the stress to their animals."

Dogs Trust

Indeed, it's not just domesticated animals and livestock at risk during these celebrations, but also wildlife, with hedgehogs in danger of being burned alive on bonfires and birds fleeing their nests due to the banging of fireworks.

But as the result of our poll indicates, many people don't think an outright ban on private fireworks displays is the answer.

Steve Raper, Chairman of the British Fireworks Association, is one such person - surprise surprise. He argues that such a ban would see the masses punished for the behaviour of a few.

Speaking to LADbible, he said: "Of course we believe that people should have the freedom to set off their own fireworks - a freedom enjoyed for centuries.

"There is too much hype around the 'negative' impact fireworks have on people and animals but in reality there is no substantive evidence to support the wild claims.

"Millions of people each year enjoy fireworks and do so safely with only a very small minority abusing them and acting in an anti-social manner."

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He continued: "We see minorities abusing cars and ragging them around estates; should cars be banned because of the few? We see minorities using dogs as weapons; should we ban dogs?

"There are claims that we should be encouraging people to attend organised displays only. Why? Home use fireworks are safe when used in line with the instructions.

"I know your readers like fast cars and motorbikes, should we ban these items and suggest that they can only drive or ride them at a race track?"

LADbible has contacted the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government for comment.

Topics: Dog, Interesting, Community, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey