Germany is again debating a ban on firecrackers

AMost people no longer believe in evil spirits. The custom of driving them away with a lot of noise at the turn of the year has persisted – and has now taken on excessive proportions with firecrackers and rockets. After two new years were celebrated relatively quietly due to the corona pandemic, the banging is allowed again this year. And while some long for this moment, others wish that the state would finally take action – and put an end to private firecrackers once and for all.

The debate about a firecracker ban is repeated year after year. While some feel restricted and patronized in their freedom, others see themselves in the right with regard to the environment and their fellow human beings. They cite, for example, the high level of fine dust pollution caused by the fireworks; the tons of rubbish left on the streets; Domestic and wild animals frightened by the noise; the numerous injuries that occur each year, including many children; and attacks on rescue workers with pyrotechnics.

Police representative: “painful, but useful”

The voices for a ban seem to get louder every year. This year, the President of the German Medical Association joined the demands: The “unregulated banging” no longer fit into the times, said its President Klaus Reinhardt of the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. In recent years, good experiences have been made with the ban. The police union sees it similarly: a ban on firecrackers is a “perhaps painful, but sensible measure,” they said in November.

The German Environmental Aid has been fighting for a ban on firecrackers for a long time, as have many animal protection associations. Together with the Federal Association of Doctors in the Public Health Service, they wrote an open letter to the Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD). Since the sale of fireworks on New Year’s Eve is regulated by the Explosives Act, the federal government would have to take action for a nationwide ban. So far, only the municipalities have the opportunity to limit the firecrackers. In Berlin, for example, there is a ban zone on Alexanderplatz, in Munich there is no fireworks within the Mittlerer Ring, in Cologne the cathedral is a fireworks-free zone. However, that is not enough for the clubs. They want the peace and quiet from the previous two years back.

Fewer missions, fewer injuries, less particulate matter

But what were the specific effects of the ban? There are no nationwide balance sheets for the deployment of rescue workers. In Berlin, for example, significantly fewer operations were reported: the fire brigade had to go out on New Year’s Eve 2020 for 661 fewer operations than in the previous year, the number of fires fell from 617 to 211. The number of operations by the police fell by more than a third. In 2021, the number of missions rose again slightly, but remained well below the years before the pandemic. However, extensive contact bans applied in both years, restaurants and clubs were closed – that should have had a significant impact on the numbers.

The accident hospital in Berlin reported significantly fewer injuries: On New Year’s Eve 2019, 50 patients with burns and hand injuries caused by pyrotechnics had to be treated, in 2020 there were only ten and in 2021 only 15 patients. According to the Zurich Group, the number of damage to property and buildings also fell – by 29 percent in the six largest German cities. “We assume that the ban on selling New Year’s fireworks has contributed to the decrease in claims,” ​​said a spokesman. However, it is not possible to measure exactly how large the effect is.

The fine dust pollution was also remarkably low on New Year’s Days 2020 and 2021. In both years, the concentration of particulate matter remained below 20 micrograms per cubic meter of air at midnight. According to the Federal Environment Agency, hourly values ​​of around 1000 micrograms are not uncommon at the turn of the year, the daily limit is 50 micrograms.