1 Reason Why Illegal Fireworks Will Never Go Away
Throughout history fireworks have been the epitome of celebrations worldwide & they have proven to be a headache for Australian authorities & firefighters. Despite the government’s efforts to flood the media with messages warning people about the hazards of detonating illegal fireworks, people are already being rushed into hospitals. With fires & accidents spreading across Australia, firefighters & paramedics are already scrambling to combat the carnage.
The latest surge of incidents goes to show that people are excited to test out their prized batch of new fireworks, & they rarely do it sober. While in the right hands fireworks are the perfect addition to any celebration, in the hands of an inexperienced or intoxicated individual they can lead to tragic accidents.
Illegal Fireworks Accidents Flood the News Once Again
People’s intense fascination with fireworks transcends cultural barriers & has withstood the test of time. For this reason it has proven to be an impossible item to keep people from getting their hands on, especially during New Year. As children we grow up adoring the colorful explosions that light up the sky every year. We subconsciously associate fireworks with celebration & good times.
While there is nothing wrong with our natural love affair with fireworks it can lead to problems down the road. When we become teenagers we start experimenting with alcohol & naturally the smartest thing to do when you first get intoxicated is to blend fireworks with parties. Even though even the most distracted teenager can usually pull off lighting a firework without blowing off their hand, there are always plenty of people who ruin it for everyone else. This problem is always highlighted by the horror stories you see on TV of people who blew up their face with their favorite firework just in time for the New Year.
Unfortunately for firework aficionados around Australia, there are plenty of incompetent people who made the news with horrific firework accidents this year. In Victoria’s south east 2 men successfully torched themselves & over 40 fires where caused by rogue fireworks. The numbers grow as you add in other states, which makes great content for sensationalized news stories. The point that fails to make the news is that a lot of people don’t need fireworks to hurt themselves.
Many people around Australia were also hospitalized for falling off of balconies & other alcohol related accidents. So the question remains: are fireworks the real enemy or is our own stupidity to blame?
Even though the same thing happens every year, we will see little change next year. The reason why this cycle keeps repeating itself is because we are trying to over regulate people’s ability to make rational decisions. With or without fireworks, in a celebration where alcohol is present in excessive amounts there will always be outrageous accidents & mishaps. While plenty of people managed to safely enjoy their illegal fireworks & alcohol there will always be that group of people who manage to turn New Year’s into a bloodbath.
The answer isn’t banning alcohol or fireworks, it’s about holding those who abuse them accountable for their actions. People need to stop being shielded from the consequences of their actions. If you are too intoxicated or stupid to light a fuse without killing yourself, society might be better off without you.
The only tragedy is when innocent people get hurt by other people’s misjudgments. For this reason we need to focus on holding those who cause tragedies accountable instead of punishing people who are using illegal fireworks responsibly.
