The Netherlands banged and blasted its way into 2023, but Dutch officials are less than impressed with the country’s fireworks tradition. 🙅🏻♀️
With injuries and hospitalisations across the country and reports of fireworks being thrown at police officers, Dutch mayors and healthcare professionals are renewing pushes for a national fireworks ban, reports the NOS.
Here’s how things are going in the “fireworks free” center of Leiden, which is once again anything but.
That’s the problem with laws. You need people willing to enforce them. Maybe one day this country’s leaders will figure that out.
Gelukkig nieuwjaar! #Leiden #vuurwerk pic.twitter.com/zKOovAihCI
Current fireworks policies are ‘unbalanced’
According to the NOS, Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema has made another urgent appeal to the cabinet to start working on a ban.
READ MORE | Dutchies completely ignore firework bans, causing chaos and hospitalisations
Even though 12 bans already exist on a municipal level, other municipalities allow it, leading to what Halsema calls an “unsustainable situation”.
According to Halsema, part of the problem is that setting off fireworks in some municipalities is illegal — but fireworks can still be bought everywhere.
Hubert Bruls, mayor of Nijmegen, is also in agreement. Mirroring Halsema’s sentiment, he spoke of an unwinnable state of affairs when municipalities have different rules regarding fireworks.
Two police unions backed up the idea of a nationwide fireworks ban, pointing out the fact that regional bans are not being complied with.
A national policy would, they argue, make enforcing the rules much easier.
Lifelong injuries
Despite police reassurances that no major disturbances occurred this New Year’s Eve, the Rotterdam Eye Hospital reported more patients needing surgery due to fireworks-related injuries than in the last two years.
In Utrecht, the situation was even more gruesome as an 11-year-old boy had to have one of his hands amputated and his right eye removed, according to RTL Nieuws.
Unfortunately, reconstruction of the wounds was futile, as the damage caused by the firework was too extensive.
Another boy was injured by fireworks in Hengelo, losing an eye in the process and in Rotterdam, a 13-year-old boy lost two fingers after trying to reignite fireworks that had not gone off.
What do you think of a possible nationwide fireworks ban? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
