Ban Fireworks!

It's not simply a case of some animals 'not liking' fireworks - some become so terrified by them that they die from the stress. And it's not just pets either. What about the effect they have on wild animals and livestock too? I know someone whose horse had to be put down last New Year because it got so distressed by fireworks that it managed to get out of the stable and ran through a wire fence.
As I say, you can get silent fireworks now - or beautiful drone displays which replicate them. Why not have those instead and minimise the damage caused by the 'normal' ones - which, let's face it, are much much louder now than they used to be.

I'm going to put my tin hat on here but we don't ban things because some people struggle with them...(if this was the case we should start with Alcohol probably.)

I have every sympathy for people with PTSD but people have this for all sorts of reasons - the specific sound of stirring tea, the sounds of wiping of feet on a doormat, the smell of a barbecue. Lots of people have things that, because of their past experience, terrify them.

(These are examples of fears I know people have lived with).

Monica. Keeping animals in does not protect them from the noise.
No one is trying to ban fireworks, just limit their use.

I’m with Monica.

If all the things that people don’t like were banned, then we’d end up with nothing at all.

There may be good reasons for limiting or discouragingly fireworks ( and personally I think there are) but doing that because some people and animals don’t like them isn’t one of them.

After all, other people’s cats and dogs cause quite a lot of stress to me. But I accept that pets are what others like to have and I must tolerate, and take steps to mitigate, the problems they cause me.

Chestnut

Parliament is debating this very issue on 19th January 2026 and there is a petition to sign before then. Here is the link:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/732559

Thank you Chestnut.

Signed.

M0nica, they cause untold misery to animals every year, but they also cause a great deal of anxiety and stress to some people too, especially people with PTSD and some with autism, etc.
A friend of mine has an ex-army veteran son and she was horrified the first time after he came home when there were fireworks going off outside and she found him a sobbing wreck hiding under their kitchen table. You can get silent fireworks now - why can't they use them instead? I genuinely believe they should be completely banned for sale to the general public and only permitted for organised displays on certain days of the year.

I don’t think fireworks should be banned but I do think those very loud ones should not be sold.

When we used to go to Spain there were very often fireworks displays but not with those ear splitting explosive ones.

I've seen the effect of loud fireworks on someone with PTSD

It's not the expected ones that go off at midnight it's people letting them off randomly for days before hand and at all times of the day and night

Why spoil the fun for so many people. It is up to animal owners to take any action necessary to protect their animals.

I dislike the way people want to ban everthing that they do not like.

We have just bought a house opposite the parish church. We knew it had bells and a clock. We did not realise until we moved in that the church bell rings the quarter hour bell 24/7.

There are about 100 or more houses within 100 yards of the church, but we are by far the nearest. We could have complained and tried to stop the night time bells, but we didn't and three months in we hardly notice them. I haven't consciously heard them all morning and I am in a room opposite the church. The same with fireworks. If your animals get frightened, keep the in and central

Quietly reading in book at 11:15 last night when there was a godalmighty bang that frightened the life out of me. Never heard a firework so loud and fireworks it was as it was followed by a shower of sparky lights. A lot of animals would have been absolutely terrified. Why oh why such a loud bang and why before midnight when people would be more prepared?

I do so love fireworks of all varieties but would be just as happy if it was time restricted and only on Bonfire night.

I don't want to go to big displays though.
A few at the bottom of a long garden is my joy!
😍

Well I enjoy the spectacle if not the noise. I have always trained or tried to train /desensitise my animals to fire works. People have been using them around the world for an eternity sadly they do seem to be getting very much louder.
Maybe they should be more controlled.

Thanks Chestnut

Signed

Parliament is debating this very issue on 19th January 2026 and there is a petition to sign before then. Here is the link:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/732559

Yes I agree. Only organised licensed shows should be allowed.

Fortunately my cat is very deaf, but I am not! It is time that fireworks were banned except for organised displays.

I hate them too ! My cat is safely inside.

Yep I agree, I have a cat who hides himself away every time he hears them. They're also just genuinely annoying.

It’s like a war zone here at the moment.

We’ve had them going off for ages too. Can only assume that those doing this want an early night like me. At midnight will be several volleys going off so will be woken up I expect, not only by the fireworks but by the dogs next door barking in response.

There are loads of fireworks going off all over round here now. I thought it must be midnight already!

I wonder if people are doing them early for younger children to see?

Same here JaneJudge.

We’ve had normal big ones going off for ages

They are terrible! There is no need to sell such noisy fireworks. Surely it is about the visual performance not the sound.

We used to leave a radio playing in our horses field shelter on Bonfire Night but that would be no match for noise of this level.

You get 5 for £4.99.