Death, injury, destruction make case for keeping fireworks illegal

You published a letter June 28SFlb from William Weimer of Phantom Fireworks in which he asks citizens to “take Ohio out of the Dark Ages” by legalizing consumer fireworks. He indicates that we should follow New York State’s lead in its recent legislation that legalized certain consumer fireworks. Mr. Weimer failed to mention, however, that the type of fireworks that New York is allowing county governments to legalize by a special local vote are fireworks that have already been legal to sell and use in Ohio for decades – sparklers, snappers, smoke bombs and caps.

Since the New York law passed, only 31 of the state’s 93 counties have opted into the law, which allows the sale and use of small fireworks on July Fourth and around the new year. The rest of the 62 counties have not opted into the law. It is far more strict than Ohio’s current law, which if adopted here would certainly protect far more Ohioans from injury and death than our current law provides.

The fact still remains that there is no safe way to use consumer fireworks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Fireworks Annual Report released last Friday, in 2014 10,500 people were treated in emergency departments for firework-related injuries. An estimated 7,000 fireworks-related injuries, or 67 percent of people treated, occurred during the one-month period surrounding the Fourth of July.

While proponents of liberalizing fireworks use in Ohio promote the “freedom and liberty” aspect of allowing folks to celebrate without government interference, we must also consider the “freedom and liberty” of those not using the fireworks that are the victims in nearly half of serious accidents.

Sherill K. Williams, Columbus Sherill K. Williams is president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate.

onal fireworks displays are better than any exhibit that could be produced with consumer fireworks.

Sherill K. Williams

President & CEO

Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate