Restricting the private use of fireworks

DH has been banging on about this for years - not initially because of animals although that does come into his argument but purely from safety point of view as fireworks are far more powerful than they used to be and need careful handling.

Totally agree - it's not fun being woken up at 11.00pm on a Saturday night by flashes and crashes, with no pre-warning, scaring the wits out of animals and people alike. I've been told that a lot of wedding parties are now finishing with firework displays. I think they should be restricted to a few nights a year, and possibly within more sociable hours, so that pet owners and others within the firing range can at least be prepared. Apart from that - they are beautiful to see

No I don't agree at all. What I would like to see is a ban on Jo Public being able to buy fireworks. In an ideal world they would be available on licence only, for public or private displays organised by licensed and trained personnel. If the happy couple wants a firework display to round off their wedding, then the wedding venue could be licensed for such a display. Licences would not be granted to venues in built up areas, near animal sanctuaries, zoos etc. Or next to motorways (Taunton Rugby Club 2011, in case anyone's forgotten).
Sadly in this internet age it would be nigh on impossible to implement such restrictions, but I think fireworks being withdrawn from over-the-counter availability would be a step in the right direction.

They are used here on every religious festival (which during the summer is every week somewhere) for weddings, new year and parties ! Sometimes it's like living in a war zone, the explosions make the walls vibrate !! The poor animals just have to suffer as we do!!

Good idea.

Frightened the life out of me somewhere foreign when they let off a load of fireworks in a side street near where I was standing watching the bride come out of church. How long before they start that here?!

People got more money than sense these days.

I would like to see them banned. I know of a child who was injured at an official display.
We've holidayed in India ten times and they love their fireworks there. One evening in a hotel, after dinner sitting outside, I looked at the young waiter who was unpacking fireworks and had a bad feeling. We moved away and discovered later that a firework had hit an obstacle and bounced back onto the table where we had been sitting.
Won't stop us going though. We have booked for the eleventh time next January. I'll just keep a safe distance between me and the fireworks.

Totally agree with strict restrictions to certain dates - to be published every year (as if 5th of Nov is on Thursday, the date for fireworks could be set officially to the Saturday, AND NO MORE) - and also for restrictions of the noise levels. Many modern fireworks are made to be as loud as possible rather than 'pretty'.

Our life in the last few years we lived in UK were a nightmare for the whole of the autum until mid January- as our Gatsby (dog) was absolutely terrified or fireworks. With Eid, Diwali, Navrati, Guy Fawks, then Christmas and New Year- etc- it was constant, and you never knew when- so we just could never ever go out just in case. Where we live now, when it's 14th of July (Bastille Day to you British friends) we go deep into Switzerland, and on 1st of August (Swiss national day) deep into France, as we live on the border. Easy- and poor Gatsby is no longer with us, and old _Slinky is deaf as a post.