Should Fireworks Be Banned?
By Aidan Magill
According to Scottish Fire and Rescue, more than 10 people are hospitalised every year leading up to and after Bonfire Night with firework related injuries. In 2025 between the 4th and 6th November, 37 people accessed emergency treatment.
Almost half of these injuries affected young people under the age of 16. Despite the legal age limit to buy fireworks being 18, people as young as 16 can still get their hands on them, showing that the law isn’t effective and these restrictions aren’t enough.
Around the world the laws on fireworks differ, with the UK having fireworks available to the adult public all-year round. However, in Ireland where fireworks are completely prohibited, this doesn’t stop people getting hold of them and harming themselves. By sourcing them illegally it raises greater risk as illegal fireworks are often unpredictable and bypass mandatory safety standards. Therefore, regardless of whether they are legal or illegal – fireworks are still dangerous.
Fireworks also negatively impact farmers and their livestock, as farmers are calling for stricter regulations on fireworks. While the National Farmers Union (NFU) do not support an outright ban on fireworks, they would like to see their noise be reduced for the sake of their animals.
While fireworks that produce no noise at all don’t exist, alternatives such as low-noise or quiet fireworks do, these focus solely on the artistic visual choreography and rich colours - as opposed to the much larger scale of normal fireworks that fill out the night sky.
Standard fireworks can reach up to 120 decibels, while low noise fireworks only go as far as 60 decibels. The NFU argue that sudden explosive noise such as fireworks is one of the main causes of stress, injury and welfare concerns in their livestock. An NFU spokesperson said: "That's why we've launched a campaign encouraging people to consider the impact fireworks can have on those around them.”
Users of fireworks can unknowingly affect humans and animals alike, such as veterans suffering from PTSD. The loud bangs, sudden flashes, smoke and burning smell of fireworks can closely imitate the conditions of combat, sending the body into severe distress.
Fireworks can be a beautiful tool for celebration, watching them paint the sky above is truly a breathtaking experience. However, when they go wrong it often causes irreversible damage to not only the user but those around them. The number of injuries considering the little time they are used should be enough for fireworks to be outlawed completely.