Result Statement: Afraid of illegal fireworks | What you say

Before the corona crisis, it had already been decided that no more fireworks and flares could be set off, but given the pressure on care from corona, no decorative fireworks are allowed anymore with old and new.

Very good, cheered one camp. “Should have been introduced years earlier. All that suffering for humans and animals and all that air pollution, I hope the fireworks ban is here to stay. ” Such a ban is nonsense and calls for trouble, it sounds in the other camp. “There will be a lot of illegal fireworks or homemade ‘bombs’, with all the consequences that entails.”

Both supporters and opponents are afraid that the use of illegal fireworks will increase due to the fireworks ban. The fireworks industry is also warning against this. “It is precisely the heavy, illegal fireworks that are the problem. Take that. With a fireworks ban you again disadvantage citizens who do comply with the rules ”. One respondent hopes that they will check properly in the border regions, “otherwise it is of no use.”

Minister Grapperhaus says that the ban can be enforced, but hardly anyone of the respondents shares that opinion. “The officer will have to write receipts at the risk of his own life while the Cobras and avalanche arrows fly around him,” someone predicts. Another notes that there has been a fireworks ban for years until the end of December. “There has been no enforcement for years alone. Bastards who gave up before the end of December already did so illegally and got away with it. That is not going to change now. ”

Violators of the fireworks ban will be fined 100 euros and a note on the criminal record. A quarter of the respondents think the punishment is too light. “Normally they spend thousands of euros on fireworks, so 100 euros does not deter,” argues one participant. However, almost half think it is too severe a sanction. “Fine, okay, but a criminal record goes too far.”

The fireworks industry accuses politicians of misusing the corona virus to push through a total fireworks ban and more than half of the participants agree. “Everything is being thrown on corona nowadays,” grumbles one respondent, “the only thing people were looking forward to, fireworks on December 31, will also be taken from them this year. The illegal market and businesses in Germany and Belgium that sell fireworks are laughing out loud, but many Dutch entrepreneurs are going down again. ” Some people call the 40 million euros that the industry receives in compensation ‘a tip’, while others think such compensation is ridiculous.

Incidentally, the majority do not think that the ban will reduce the pressure on care and social workers and that the turn of the year will be calmer. “Much discontent will lead to riots. Alternatively, shop windows will die and cars go up in flames, ”someone sketches a dark scenario.

For most respondents, a New Year without fireworks is less festive. “Why don’t municipalities give a big fireworks display? Then we can still blast into the new year. ”

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