Fireworks. Do we need them? Fireworks are extremely distressing to wildlife, domestic animals and many people who suffer from learning disabilities or mental health issues, including those who have served in or otherwise experienced conflict and war. Society is rightly more focussed than ever before on mental health problems. At the same time there is now an abundance of evidence of the suffering fireworks cause to animals, whether it is domestic pets so traumatised that they can escape into traffic, or wildlife so frightened that parents flee in fear leaving their young behind. The use of fireworks is out of control. It is no longer limited to one or two days a year, or a small number of public events. Fireworks use is wide-spread, largely uncontrolled and quite often illegal, to the detriment of the emergency services, as well as people and animals. Can this be justified in the 21st century? Perhaps in an age where we are rightly concerned about mental health, where we increasingly recognise our obligations to protect animals from cruelty and where we want to tackle climate concerns, like air and noise pollution, it’s time we moved beyond fireworks, just as we have moved beyond other forms of cruelty that were once allowed in the name of entertainment. If you live in Salford, agree with this statement and would like to see use of fireworks brought to an end, please add your name to this petition , thank you .