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There curently is a bill that has been on the chpping block since 2001. The current bill would continue to ban fireworks within New York City limits. The city's concern about fireworks being brought into the city from upstate or Long Island could be allayed by people showing their drivers licenses before the purchase of fireworks.
In 1966, as a result of the Federal Child Protection Safety Act, large explosive devices such as ashcans, cherry bombs and silver salutes were banned.
As happens every year, individuals from a law enforcement agency attempt to blow up a watermelon or mannequin with such devices or with professional grade explosives and use that as justification to ban all consumer fireworks. This is very misleading since the most powerful consumer firework of it's type presently allowed by the federal government is a 50mg. firecracker. This is hardly enough to blow off a finger as some would have us believe.
In 1976, the federal government via the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) established strict safety standards for consumer fireworks. Most fireworks now come from China and the CPSC has a presence there to ensure quality. The fireworks industry also has a voluntary consortium called the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory whose standards exceed federal mandates. This means that fireworks are among the safest of imports.
Since 1976, fireworks injuries have declined 90% while their use is up 871%. In 1976, there were 38.3 injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks consumed. In 2006, this number dropped to 3.3 injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks consumed. The CPSC does not rank fireworks high on the list of consumer items likely to cause injury.
A 10 year study by them concluded that 1/3 of fireworks injuries are caused by illegal items or professional displays.
A 7 year study by them concluded that injuries from fireworks are relatively minor. A follow up investigation by them concluded that the main reason for injuries was not from the fireworks themselves but from misuse.
Their library has data showing that baseball, bicycles, golf and candles, to name a few, have higher injury and mortality rates than fireworks. Death related injuries are higher in states that ban fireworks than in those that don't (0.18 per million as opposed to 0.14 per million). This is because dangerous bootleg items surface when there is a complete ban.
According to the American Hospital Association, each of their 6,820 hospitals treat an average of 1 fireworks injury per year while there are 82 bicycle related injuries per hospital. The United States Fire Service has stated that properly operated electrical equipment causes more fires than fireworks.
CPSC statistics from 2002-2004 showed an average of 376,600 fires in the United States, resulting in 2629 deaths and 13,110 injuries. Fireworks aren't noted in the report. Cooking equipment and cigarettes are.
The often quoted National Fire Protection Assiciation (NFPA) has been cited on a number of occasions for the use of misleading statistics (eg. people who die going to and from a fireworks display are counted as a fireworks related death. Todays fireworks are not those that caused our state to enact the ban in 1940!
SUPPORT LEGAIZING FIREWORKS IN NEW YORK STATE!
LIFT THE FIREWORKS BAN IN NEW YORK STATE!
FIREWORKS ARE NOT AS DANGEROUS AS SOME LOCAL AGENCIES WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE. THEY ARE MISINFORMED,GET EDUCATED!
Leo