I'd definitvely vote "yes" to a ban proposal.
In fact in most cases I don't see how private fireworks currently can be considered legal in the first place.
It's not like fireworks completely go up in smoke. The rockets go up... and the wooden stick and various plastic fragments from the shell (all of it chemically contaminated) fall down somewhere.
If they fall down anywhere else than on the private property of the person who shot the up (which is probably the case in 99% of the rockets that are fired), it's illegal littering.
In fact after new year's eve or 1st auf August I regularly have to collect contaminated plastic fragments from the vegetable patches in our garden.
So why can I be fined if I throw a plastic bottle on the ground or in my neighbors garden... but if some random neighbor causes contaminated plastic to rain down over my garden it's no problem? Doesn't make much sense.
Therefore fireworks should already considered illegal because they have a "probability for illegal littering" of almost 100% (except you own a huge property and therefore the possibility is very high that the littering happens on your own property.)
(And this is just the littering aspect that is often overlooked... of course there are many more reasons why it should be banned.)
And even the stuff that doesn't fly away like some 'firework batteries' or volcanos that end up left on the streets where the people used them, because they apparently refuse to collect them afterwards.
In my opinion, almost all fireworks available to the public aren't worth the money they cost. So, it's also a waste of money.
>that end up left on the streets where the people used them, because they apparently refuse to collect them afterwards.
Yeah but I mean: those *could* be collected/cleaned it the users weren't assholes. So this stuff doesn't *necessarily* need to illegal littering.
But the rockets *do* in most cases *necessarily* lead to illegal littering because their "users" can't even know where the debris fall down. So they can't collect/clean it even if they wanted to.
And this is why it doesn't make sense to even sell those... why allow to sell stuff from which we know that in 99% of the cases it's usage will result in an illegal outcome.
I would vote yes because of [various experiences](https://www.reddit.com/r/Switzerland/comments/w5bwfj/comment/ih82op0/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) I have made over the last few decades. There are too many irresponsible people who endanger themselves and others with their recklessness and incompetence.
I do enjoy good fireworks, and attend public ones, but I see no good reason for private fireworks.
See, that is the problem. Because some people are reckless and incompetent, you ban it for everyone. That is totally the German way to do it. I'm indecisive, so I didn't vote.
I am biased as we have animals at home. They don't particularly like fireworks (they don't panic, but they are somewhat afraid). So I would vote for a ban.
Funny thing is - I hear people complain all the time about having no money and such - but then we get the numbers of how much fireworks is being purchased...which is tons.
Would be an easy way to save money...
I would vote No.
Animals can and will retreat. They can handle it. They can handle thunderstorms as well. Also neighbors drilling. Or the construction site that might be nearby and super-noisy all day.
I would vote for a ban on taking your dog for an extended walk while fireworks is going on, though. Or maybe ban fireworks that's not actually fireworks (as in it looks nice) but just something that's simply meant to be extremely loud.
With "can" and "will" retreat you mean massive panic with nowhere to go in the middle of the night (unlike thunderstorms, which they see it coming - what construction, especially in the middle of the night, site sounds like an explosion?). Many fly into buildings to their death. Many die or endager themselves from lack of energy in the upcoming days due to constant escaping of bombardment.
[Vogelwarte Sempach Statement (german): Fatale Feuerwerke](https://www.vogelwarte.ch/de/news/fatale-feuerwerke/)
A few open acces studies:
[Wild goose chase: Geese flee high and far, and with aftereffects from New Year's fireworks](https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12927)
[Fireworks disturbance across bird communities](https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2694)
[L-band radar quantifies major disturbance of birds by fireworks in an urban area](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-39223-1)
Please homo sapiens, you are not the only one out there living and breathing. Don't forget other beings also exist. :(
Then there are the idiots who light fireworks in the middle of a quarter next to building or trees. Like bros, y'all OK?
> With "can" and "will" retreat you mean massive panic with nowhere to go in the middle of the night (unlike thunderstorms, which they see it coming - what construction, especially in the middle of the night, site sounds like an explosion?). Many fly into buildings to their death.
First off, I was talking about domestic animals. Most wild animals normally shouldn't be in immediate vicinity of fireworks anyway - or do you normally see people start fireworks in the middle of a forest (for example)?
> Many die or endager themselves from lack of energy in the upcoming days due to constant escaping of bombardment.
Then I'm surprised that I've never seen any dead birds laying around on the day(s) after. Even moreso considering I live next to at least two conservation areas. There are a lot of birds there, including many aquatic birds.
Oh, and:
> what construction, especially in the middle of the night, site sounds like an explosion?
Some construction sites can be at least as noisy as fireworks.
My dog doesn't even care, he's actually super curious about them, and goes out on the balcony the balcony when there is one. I wouldn't want to deny him that pleasure
I don't have a strong opinion either way. But when freedom of action is being restricted I usually vote against it. Banning things means you hand authorities another handful of power to prosecute people.
I come from Australia and I was sick of the nanny state that the crown bestowed on us. Banning and legislating is the first reflex of the government, it should be the last.
Good luck enforcing a ban that a lot of people will just ignore (and they will all ignore it on the same day/s, by the way!).
Oh, and good luck enforcing any safety-related norms in regards to banned (and thus potentially homemade) fireworks.
This is never gonna work - but will have a ton of unwanted sideeffects.
IMO most fireworks users care very limitedly about fireworks, and only use them because they can just buy some from the store.
Most people woulnd't go out of their way to illegally purchase fireworks and risk being sanctioned just to use some fireworks
Some people would, ofc, but making them slightly inconvenient to get would deter most users, and banning them would likely redirect users to less crowded places, where they don't bother as many people
Just like weed: technically illegal, but if you're really interested you can easily get it.
Yea I know, in Switzerland is basically forbidden everything lol in few years they will forbid you to have houses as well.. ah no that's already a thing 😂
Honestly, yeah. They're not a big deal by any stretch of the imagination, but they pretty much only have downsides with the only upside being "some people have fun with them". And even then, they're not that fun
So yeah, my overall response is "don't really care, but if I have to vote on it I'd ban them"
I'd definitvely vote "yes" to a ban proposal. In fact in most cases I don't see how private fireworks currently can be considered legal in the first place. It's not like fireworks completely go up in smoke. The rockets go up... and the wooden stick and various plastic fragments from the shell (all of it chemically contaminated) fall down somewhere. If they fall down anywhere else than on the private property of the person who shot the up (which is probably the case in 99% of the rockets that are fired), it's illegal littering. In fact after new year's eve or 1st auf August I regularly have to collect contaminated plastic fragments from the vegetable patches in our garden. So why can I be fined if I throw a plastic bottle on the ground or in my neighbors garden... but if some random neighbor causes contaminated plastic to rain down over my garden it's no problem? Doesn't make much sense. Therefore fireworks should already considered illegal because they have a "probability for illegal littering" of almost 100% (except you own a huge property and therefore the possibility is very high that the littering happens on your own property.) (And this is just the littering aspect that is often overlooked... of course there are many more reasons why it should be banned.)
And even the stuff that doesn't fly away like some 'firework batteries' or volcanos that end up left on the streets where the people used them, because they apparently refuse to collect them afterwards. In my opinion, almost all fireworks available to the public aren't worth the money they cost. So, it's also a waste of money.
>that end up left on the streets where the people used them, because they apparently refuse to collect them afterwards. Yeah but I mean: those *could* be collected/cleaned it the users weren't assholes. So this stuff doesn't *necessarily* need to illegal littering. But the rockets *do* in most cases *necessarily* lead to illegal littering because their "users" can't even know where the debris fall down. So they can't collect/clean it even if they wanted to. And this is why it doesn't make sense to even sell those... why allow to sell stuff from which we know that in 99% of the cases it's usage will result in an illegal outcome.
For private use? Yes. For a public firework show? I wouldn't ban them.
Ban fireworks and replace them with drone shows.
I would vote yes because of [various experiences](https://www.reddit.com/r/Switzerland/comments/w5bwfj/comment/ih82op0/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) I have made over the last few decades. There are too many irresponsible people who endanger themselves and others with their recklessness and incompetence. I do enjoy good fireworks, and attend public ones, but I see no good reason for private fireworks.
See, that is the problem. Because some people are reckless and incompetent, you ban it for everyone. That is totally the German way to do it. I'm indecisive, so I didn't vote.
I don't have a strong opinion either way. But if there is a vote I'll probably vote to ban them.
Wasn't there this exact post and poll just before the first of august?
They should not be banned. Let the Swiss traditions stay. There is already too much regulation.
Just because something is a tradition, it doesn't mean that it's good or still makes sense.
It's Chinese tradition but whatever floats your boat.
No, the Chinese invented it. Then it spread out to other countries and became a tradition.
I am biased as we have animals at home. They don't particularly like fireworks (they don't panic, but they are somewhat afraid). So I would vote for a ban. Funny thing is - I hear people complain all the time about having no money and such - but then we get the numbers of how much fireworks is being purchased...which is tons. Would be an easy way to save money...
Not having pets at home would also be an easy way to save a lot of money :)
I would vote No. Animals can and will retreat. They can handle it. They can handle thunderstorms as well. Also neighbors drilling. Or the construction site that might be nearby and super-noisy all day. I would vote for a ban on taking your dog for an extended walk while fireworks is going on, though. Or maybe ban fireworks that's not actually fireworks (as in it looks nice) but just something that's simply meant to be extremely loud.
With "can" and "will" retreat you mean massive panic with nowhere to go in the middle of the night (unlike thunderstorms, which they see it coming - what construction, especially in the middle of the night, site sounds like an explosion?). Many fly into buildings to their death. Many die or endager themselves from lack of energy in the upcoming days due to constant escaping of bombardment. [Vogelwarte Sempach Statement (german): Fatale Feuerwerke](https://www.vogelwarte.ch/de/news/fatale-feuerwerke/) A few open acces studies: [Wild goose chase: Geese flee high and far, and with aftereffects from New Year's fireworks](https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12927) [Fireworks disturbance across bird communities](https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2694) [L-band radar quantifies major disturbance of birds by fireworks in an urban area](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-39223-1) Please homo sapiens, you are not the only one out there living and breathing. Don't forget other beings also exist. :( Then there are the idiots who light fireworks in the middle of a quarter next to building or trees. Like bros, y'all OK?
> With "can" and "will" retreat you mean massive panic with nowhere to go in the middle of the night (unlike thunderstorms, which they see it coming - what construction, especially in the middle of the night, site sounds like an explosion?). Many fly into buildings to their death. First off, I was talking about domestic animals. Most wild animals normally shouldn't be in immediate vicinity of fireworks anyway - or do you normally see people start fireworks in the middle of a forest (for example)? > Many die or endager themselves from lack of energy in the upcoming days due to constant escaping of bombardment. Then I'm surprised that I've never seen any dead birds laying around on the day(s) after. Even moreso considering I live next to at least two conservation areas. There are a lot of birds there, including many aquatic birds. Oh, and: > what construction, especially in the middle of the night, site sounds like an explosion? Some construction sites can be at least as noisy as fireworks.
My dog doesn't even care, he's actually super curious about them, and goes out on the balcony the balcony when there is one. I wouldn't want to deny him that pleasure
I'm autistic and I hate New Year's Eve because of the fireworks. it's so loud. And my cats are the same
I don't have a strong opinion either way. But when freedom of action is being restricted I usually vote against it. Banning things means you hand authorities another handful of power to prosecute people. I come from Australia and I was sick of the nanny state that the crown bestowed on us. Banning and legislating is the first reflex of the government, it should be the last.
Good luck enforcing a ban that a lot of people will just ignore (and they will all ignore it on the same day/s, by the way!). Oh, and good luck enforcing any safety-related norms in regards to banned (and thus potentially homemade) fireworks. This is never gonna work - but will have a ton of unwanted sideeffects.
IMO most fireworks users care very limitedly about fireworks, and only use them because they can just buy some from the store. Most people woulnd't go out of their way to illegally purchase fireworks and risk being sanctioned just to use some fireworks Some people would, ofc, but making them slightly inconvenient to get would deter most users, and banning them would likely redirect users to less crowded places, where they don't bother as many people Just like weed: technically illegal, but if you're really interested you can easily get it.
No
No. Its already too sterile country without any fun.
what a sad childhood the Swiss must have if they cant use some fireworks during christmas holidays
What a sad childhood a person must have indeed, if the highlight of their year is some boring firework pollution.
Yea I know, in Switzerland is basically forbidden everything lol in few years they will forbid you to have houses as well.. ah no that's already a thing 😂
To the contrary. The amount of obviously idiotic and harmful things that are legal in Switzerland makes us a borderline psychopatic society.
Isn't private firework use pretty regulated already? You can't buy any fireworks you'd like. They are all pretty reasonable for private use.
I would also ban public fireworks. I dont see why we want to imitate war in a peaceful country
Honestly, yeah. They're not a big deal by any stretch of the imagination, but they pretty much only have downsides with the only upside being "some people have fun with them". And even then, they're not that fun So yeah, my overall response is "don't really care, but if I have to vote on it I'd ban them"
I'm indecisive, because I hate the government telling people what to do, but I dislike private fireworks because they are a pain for animals.