New Year’s Eve
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Sale of fireworks started on Thursday – warnings included
For the first time in three years firecrackers and rockets can be sold for New Year’s Eve. Because the clinics are already partly overloaded, there will be more warnings about the consequences and dangers at the start of sales.
- Fireworks available since Thursday morning
- expected high demand
- Politicians and associations warn
- Doctors prepare for more injuries
The year is coming to an end – and with it the last night of the year is getting closer. New Year’s Eve fireworks have therefore been available in stores since Thursday morning. The sales phase ends on the last day of the year.
For the first time in three years, retailers in Germany started selling firecrackers and rockets. In the two previous years, sales were prohibited in Germany due to the corona pandemic.
Category F2 pyrotechnic items can be purchased over the three days. These include firecrackers, rockets and fireworks batteries. The import of non-approved pyrotechnics is prohibited, as is trading in them. Violations will be punished as an administrative offense or a criminal offence.
The Federal Association of Pyrotechnics expects a great demand for firecrackers and rockets for New Year’s Eve. “It is becoming apparent that demand is higher than ever,” said association chairman Ingo Schubert on Thursday on rbb24 Inforadio. Colleagues from the specialist retail trade reported that the order situation in online retail could hardly be managed, according to Schubert.
Three no-gun zones in Berlin
Many large cities have again set up no firecracker zones for New Year’s Eve – including Berlin: In the Steinmetzkiez, on Alexanderplatz and in Alt-Moabit, between Saturday, December 31, 6 p.m. and Sunday, January 1, 6 a.m., neither firecrackers nor fireworks are allowed to be lit will.
He stays in Potsdam Park of Sanssouci Palace closed again on New Year’s Eve.
Stübgen and Nonnemacher warn
The Brandenburg Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) and Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens) have called for careful handling of fireworks. “New Year’s Eve should be fun and not lead to the hospital,” said Stübgen.
Therefore he could only warn against the burning of unauthorized or self-made firecrackers. This can lead to serious bodily harm and even death.
When buying, it is important to ensure that the fireworks are marked with the CE mark and a registration number, Nonnemacher added. According to her, the State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection and Health will carry out extensive nationwide checks on the sale of pyrotechnics.
Brandenburg’s Minister of Health once again pointed out that the burden on hospitals and rescue services is already very high. The situation in the health care system will not be further aggravated by the cautious and cautious use of New Year’s fireworks.
Accident hospital expects more injuries again
The doctors in the emergency rooms are preparing for the fact that, after two years without selling fireworks, there will be significantly more injuries on New Year’s Eve. The operating capacities in the accident hospital in Berlin were therefore significantly increased. “We assume that the operation will continue from around 3 a.m. until late on New Year’s Eve,” said a spokesman for the hospital of the dpa.
In normal years before the corona pandemic, around 50 people always came to the hospital on New Year’s Eve, in the last two years – with significantly fewer fireworks – there were 8 and 15 patients. The typical injuries on New Year’s Eve are torn off fingers or destroyed hands after unsuccessful fireworks. Drunk people who handle fireworks and children who want to collect and ignite duds on New Year’s Day are particularly at risk.
DRK also calls for caution
The German Red Cross (DRK) has also called for the careful use of firecrackers. “Even if many people finally want to let loose again after the two-year break and celebrate with private fireworks, caution and consideration should continue to be the focus,” said DRK federal doctor Bernd Böttiger on Wednesday in Berlin. In principle, children should not get their hands on firecrackers, and young people under the age of 18 should be comprehensively informed about how to use them.
The DRK warned against buying pyrotechnics from abroad or using homemade firecrackers. In addition, duds should never be ignited again, and a safe distance from the fireworks must always be maintained. Severe burns, hand or eye injuries, alcohol poisoning and hypothermia are typical emergencies on New Year’s Eve. Torn fingers also occur.
In the case of minor burns, the affected area should be cooled, but not in the case of large-area burns, as otherwise there is a risk of the injured person suffering from hypothermia. In the case of hand injuries, the wound should be covered with sterile clothing immediately. Torn off fingers or finger parts should be handed over to the emergency services if possible. According to the information, both eyes should be bandaged in the event of eye injuries so that the injured eye does not move.
Environmental concerns and particulate matter pollution
Environmental concerns are also repeatedly raised against the New Year’s fireworks. According to the Federal Environment Agency, around 2,050 tons of fine dust are released every year when fireworks are set off – most of it on New Year’s Eve. Inhaling fine dust is a health hazard and affects the respiratory tract, for example. In addition, the amount of waste and the stress on animals caused by fireworks.
The German Environmental Aid (DUH) calls for a ban on private fireworks. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) must realize that millions of animals and people as well as the environment are suffering from the fireworks and that more and more people therefore urgently want a ban. The organization called for the money for pyrotechnics to be used for charitable purposes – under the motto “donations instead of firecrackers”.
The police union (GdP) is also in favor of a ban: if only because of the enormous production of pollutants and the mountains of garbage on the streets on New Year’s morning. This applies all the more in view of the high risk of accidents – especially under the influence of alcohol – as well as firecracker and rocket attacks against the police, fire brigade and rescue service.
Parking ticket machines are protected
In Berlin-Mitte, meanwhile, since Tuesday, all around 2,650 parking ticket machines have been gradually provided with a New Year’s Eve protection. The district councilor Almut Neumann (Greens) announced that it should be removed again on January 1st. The measure serves to protect the machines from damage caused by New Year’s Eve firecrackers. During this time, the parking ticket machines cannot be used.
Despite the restriction, drivers must comply with the road traffic regulations, it said. Instead of the classic payment method, they should use mobile phone parking or their own parking disc. The district had already provided the machines with protection before New Year’s Eve in 2019, when there were still around 1,300.
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, December 29, 2022, 09:00