Ella Matte
Contributor
Several Victorians want the city to enact a fireworks ban due to the impact of noise on pets and people with PTSD.
The aftermath of New Year’s Eve celebrations sparked concerns about the effects it has, with four people speaking on the topic at last Thursday’s city council meeting.
Jen Dobell presented a video to council that reported, “after New Year’s Eve fireworks in Rome (2023), hundreds of birds were found dead on the Italian capital streets. They were said to have suffered from heart attacks as a result of the fireworks. ‘It can be that they died from fear,’ said the spokesperson for the International Organisation for the Protection of Animals.”
Dobell’s video also shared a number of environmental issues fireworks can cause.
“Birds and small animals abandon nests in fear and will become disoriented and won’t return to their homes,” said the video. “Fireworks cause tinnitus and hearing loss, and fireworks cause panic attacks.”
More concerns were raised when police were called after fireworks ignited in a condo in downtown Vancouver, Dobell said.
Shon Shum says a possible solution they have used in Finland is implementing laser shows to reduce fireworks.
He later referenced a study that says, “according to PBS a study published in a journal titled, ‘the atmospheric environment,’ found that, ‘fireworks release high levels of pollution into the sky in the U.S. on July 4th and 5th which are days of celebration in that country. It was found that 42 per cent more pollutants release in the air on those days compared to normal days.”
The city said it would take the concerns under advisement, but no formal response was issued.