It has been tradition in Hawai‘i that residents pop fireworks to ring in the new year – until now.
Jan. 1, 2012 will mark the first New Year’s Day without most public fireworks on O‘ahu.
The fireworks ban has stirred up debates for years, and almost one year since its passing, many still oppose the ban. In July, Honolulu Magazine reported that TNT Fireworks expected to lose more than $800,000 in fireworks sales.
And while banning fireworks does strip away an entertaining practice from the local community, this ban can save lives.
Since 2000, the number of fireworks-related injuries nearly doubled by 2010, according to a 2010 article in The Honolulu Advertiser. Among the 112 fireworks-related injuries treated at hospitals in January 2010, half the injured were children, including seven younger than the age of five. About 75 percent of the injuries occurred while lighting or holding fireworks, reported The Honolulu Advertiser.
In addition, the fireworks ban improves health. Jean Evans, executive director of the American Lung Association in Hawai‘i said to The Honolulu Advertiser in January 2010, that firework celebrations on New Year’s becomes problematic for people with lung disease.
“There are 175,000 people in Hawai‘i with some type of lung disease,” Evans said, “and New Year’s Eve is one of the worst nights for them.”
Smoke emitted from fireworks becomes difficult not just for those with respiratory problems, but also pets and young children.
Prohibiting fireworks also helps improve the environment. The quality of the air, along with the streets is much cleaner now.
Up until the ban went into effect, it was common for spectators of the fireworks show at Ala Moana Beach Park to bring their own fireworks as they waited for the show to start. Young people would throw their cherry blossom fireworks up into the air, only to have them land into ponds and streams. In a public setting, people are less likely to pick up their trash in comparison to those who pop their fireworks on their home street.
The fireworks ban went into effect Jan. 2, 2011, and it prohibits the use of consumer fireworks – sparklers, fountains, “spinning wheels” and “paperless” firecrackers – on the island without a valid permit, which is attainable for $25.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, O‘ahu residents with a permit are allowed to use firecrackers only between 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Chinese New Year and from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Fourth of July. People with permits are allowed to purchase up to 5,000 firecrackers.
Hawai‘i is the sixth state in the U.S. to prohibit consumer fireworks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Delaware and Massachusetts also have bans placed on fireworks.
According to The Honolulu Advertiser, 39 states allow most consumer fireworks, and only six allow sparklers or novelty firework items.
The debate of whether or not to put an end to public fireworks has been ongoing for decades, reported The Advertiser. Talks began as early as 2000, but at the time the decision was split and there was not enough pressure to encourage lawmakers to take drastic action.
And while people may still complain about it, they should rethink and be thankful our government cares for our well-being. Those who still want to have fun on New Year’s Eve can attend any of the public firework displays on the island or purchase a permit for firecrackers.