As of: December 31, 2021 5:33 p.m.
Hardly any fireworks on New Year’s Eve – this is also due to the corona pandemic in 2021, in order to avoid contacts and relieve hospitals. If it were up to the German Environmental Aid, there should be a permanent ban on firecrackers.
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) is pushing for a permanent firecracker ban on New Year’s Eve. “Rockets and firecrackers poison the air we breathe in several ways,” warned DUH spokesman Matthias Walter in the portal watson.de.
Burning fireworks with ingredients such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide would produce toxic and irritating substances for the respiratory tract. “Even more serious, however, is the massive emission of particulate matter,” said Walter.
Deutsche Umwelthilfe pointed out that the extensive ban on firecrackers had already had a positive effect on air quality last year.
“Although pyro fanatics detonated sporadically with firecrackers and rockets from abroad and illegal private storage, the turn of the year was much quieter and therefore exorbitantly healthier,” said Walter.
Because of the corona pandemic, the sale of firecrackers and New Year’s rockets was prohibited in Germany this year and last. Already existing pyrotechnics or those purchased abroad may be ignited, but restrictions such as firecrackers and collection bans in central locations also apply here.
The sales ban had been criticized by the pyrotechnics industry for being devastating. The Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg (OVG) confirmed it and rejected the corresponding urgent requests.
The rescue services, which are already heavily used by the pandemic, are to be relieved with the sales ban, since otherwise they have to regularly take care of many injured people with fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Opponents of the New Year’s Eve bang also point to the considerable amounts of garbage that regularly arise, as well as to pollution for wild animals and domestic animals.