Why millions of Change.org users are calling for fireworks restrictions

As the winter months draw closer, the ongoing debate around the sale and use of fireworks in the UK is intensifying.

Fireworks displays typically take place around Bonfire Night, which is celebrated on November 5th, with many events being held on the weekends surrounding the event, while fireworks are also displayed on New Year’s Eve, the Hindu festival of Diwali, Christmas and holiday events, summer festivals, and national and sporting events.

Despite the popularity of fireworks displays, in the UK alone more than 2.6 million petition signers over hundreds of Change.org campaigns have raised concerns over the negative impact fireworks can have on animals, children, the elderly, emergency workers, and people with autism and mental health challenges. You can find a selection of these campaigns on this movement page.

Why are so many people against fireworks?

While concerns have been raised about the harmful effects of fireworks on the above mentioned groups of people, the vast majority of petitions on Change.org calling for fireworks restrictions come from animal rights campaigners.

One petition, which garnered more than 1 million signatures, was delivered to Downing Street ahead of Bonfire Night 2024. Julie Doorne, an animal rights activist, created the campaign to call for:

• A reduction in the maximum permitted decibels for private use fireworks from 120 to 97
• All public fireworks displays to be licensed
• Packaging to be labelled indicating the noise level of fireworks
• A restriction on private use of fireworks to traditional dates such as Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali.

How animals are affected by fireworks

Each year the RSPCA receives hundreds of calls about concerns over animal welfare during fireworks displays. The peak months for calls are November, October, January and December, coinciding with an increase in fireworks displays. In 2018, the animal rights group received 411 calls from people concerned about the effect of fireworks on animals – an increase of 12 per cent from 2013.

The RSPCA also estimates that 45 per cent of dogs show signs of fear when they hear fireworks, and a survey recorded 79 per cent of horses as either anxious or very anxious around fireworks over the Guy Fawkes period. Animals affected not only suffer psychological distress, but can also become physically injured as they attempt to run or hide from the noise.

Since 2010, the British Horse Society recorded 20 deaths, 10 severe injuries, and 88 mild to moderate injuries in horses in firework incidents.

Real life tragedies caused by fireworks

It’s not just animals who suffer during fireworks displays. A petition to change the legislation around the sale and use of fireworks was started by a grieving son whose mother died in a house fire after a teenager placed a firework in her letterbox.

Alan Smith is calling for tighter restrictions on the licensing of fireworks sales, and a ban on purchasing fireworks for anyone under 18 years old. His mother Josephine (pictured below) died in the horrific incident that damaged 60 to 70% of her home.

Possible solutions to the growing problem

While some campaigns call for a total ban on fireworks, such as this petition which garnered more than 25,000 signatures, many campaigners are calling for more achievable measures, such as a ban on the private sale of fireworks, limits on organised displays, and the implementation of silent fireworks.

This petition calling for all UK fireworks to be silent gained more than 70,000 signatures. It was created by an animal rights campaigner following the deaths of eight dogs who died after suffering heart attacks during fireworks displays.

More than 60,000 people backed this campaign, which calls for a ban on fireworks sales to the general public, arguing that fireworks should only be sold for licensed displays that run on Bonfire Night.

How silent fireworks work

Silent fireworks are designed with a reduced amount of flash powder, which minimises the noise they produce. Flash powder, a mix of an oxidizer and metallic fuel, is typically responsible for the loud bangs associated with traditional fireworks. Instead of focusing on sound, silent fireworks emphasise vibrant, visually striking displays.

Silent fireworks typically produce between 70 and 90 decibels of noise, while public fireworks in the UK reach up to 120 decibels, similar to that of a plane taking off.

What are the current laws around fireworks in the UK?

The UK’s current laws allow people to purchase fireworks from registered sellers for private use between 15 October and 10 November, 26 to 31 December, and three days before Diwali and Chinese New Year. It’s against the law for anyone to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except for on Bonfire Night, when the cut-off is midnight, and on New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when the cut-off is 1am.

But these restrictions don’t go far enough for many Change.org users. In the last year alone, 162 new petitions calling for stricter fireworks regulations have been launched on the platform in the UK, gaining more than 289,000 signatures. And in the past seven days (since October 29), 38 new petitions have been launched on the platform advocating for increased regulations.

An increase in crime and antisocial behaviour

There is growing public concern over antisocial behaviour in the run-up to Bonfire Night. Police in Bedfordshire issued a warning ahead of Guy Fawkes Night, while Merseyside Police recorded a 32 per cent increase in emergency 999 calls on Bonfire Night in 2022.

Greater Manchester Fire Service also issued a warning against criminal behaviour, saying assaults on their staff, police and paramedics surged by a fifth during last year’s Halloween and Bonfire Night period.

There have already been reports of fireworks-related disorder in Edinburgh this year, where riot police were called out on Halloween to deal with unrest in one area of the Scottish capital, and buses were attacked with fireworks in separate incidents.

The popularity of fireworks

Although the vast majority of petitions on Change.org on the issue of fireworks call for tighter rules, there are a few exceptions, with some campaigning to preserve the tradition of fireworks in the UK.

The organiser of this petition advocates for the continued availability of fireworks for public use, saying that if illegal and anti-social use of fireworks were adequately policed, the majority of complaints would cease. The petition starter argues that, when used as intended, fireworks are safe, bring communities together, and raise tens of millions of pounds every year for charities.

Words: Alana Mazzoni