UK Fireworks ... 2009
Increased vote frequency continues to show that firework use is more extreme than ever before.

Bang the Bang! vote frequency from UK voters during the entire year is showning a significant rise over previous years, which so far indicates that senseless, loud firework use is on the increase ... regardless of any recent tightening of UK laws.

Pending Investigation ... 16 captive birds killed due to firework display:

Ban the Bang! have been informed from a reliable source that 16 birds died at a falconry centre in 2005 due to a firework display taking place just outside its perimiter. We will add more details after a fuller investigation at a later date.

Canadian wildlife park holding a firework display every day throughout Christmas:

A Ban The Bang voter has informed us about BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada which holds a firework display every night during the Christmas season and has been doing so for the last eleven years. We checked this claim for ourselves and found the information to be accurate. Our advice to Canadians concerend about this is to politely write to the park and point out the following:
Staging a loud aerial firework display in a place which is supposed to care for the well-being of animals is irresponsible, and sends out an entirely inappropriate message to the public, as well as obviously causing stress to the wildlife park's animals and birds. Fireworks and animals do not mix. Please urgently reconsider your park's entertainment programme and switch to events which are far more suitable for an animal-based environment.

Ban the Bang! and LaFAN (Lost and Found Animals Network)

Ban the Bang! (Looking-Glass and VeggieGlobal) has received public enquiries regarding LaFAN, the same organisation's Lost and Found Animals Network. There is general disappointment that hardly any animal rescue organisation has so far joined this potentially highly effective countrywide animal rescue link-up programme. LaFAN launched in the summer of 2007 and is simply designed to help reunite owners and animals by allowing the public to quickly track down their local rescue places. Unfortunately, even though LaFAN sent out hundreds of personal invitations to animal rescue groups and even lost and found registers to participate, it has had almost no response. Only three have joined. however, within just a few weeks of these few joining the system, two dogs where found via LaFAN and reunited with their owners. This proved that LaFAN's simple back and forth linking system works flawlessly and effectively, showing that if all the animal rescues with websites linked in to LaFAN, thousands of lost animals each year will be reunited with their owners quickly and efficiently.
We are of course very disappointed ourselves by the apathy displayed by animal resue organisations towards such a simple life-protecting programme like LaFAN, which is completely non-partisan, non-competitive and free for everyone.
All we can suggest to our Ban The Bang! voters at this time is that you contact your local rescue centre and ask them to take the obvious steps and participate in LaFAN asap. There is no excuse for any lack of participation, and at the peak of firework season with so many animals becoming lost from firework fright, common-sense should surely prevail to ensure that the public have a quick, uncomplicated way to track down and check their local rescue place's lost and found webpage for lost animals - or to report a lost animal.
Please ask your local rescue to visit either:
www.veggieglobal.com/lafan or www.looking-glass.co.uk/lafan and apply free to LaFAN .

News Flash ... November 2006
Firework display held inside an animal park (Yes, we didn't believe it at first either)

Ban the Bang successfully (and we must emphasise - peacefully) put a stop to a huge firework display that was going to be held inside an Animal Park (yes, you heard that right ... a firework display in an animal park - we know it sounds absurd!) The appalling manner in which Beale Park in Reading, Berkshire, UK announced its cancellation and subsequent defamatory press statements leaves a lot to be desired as you can read here. But first please read the lead-up to this below.

It all began when we received a disturbing letter in late October from a supporter in the Reading area of the UK telling us about a huge firework display taking place on the 4th November at an animal and wildlife park. Yes, you read that right … a firework display inside a park which homes hundreds of animals and birds. Although we first wondered if the correspondence was a "wind-up" through its unbelievable claim, we were appalled to learn that the allegation was true.

An animal park presenting a loud aerial firework display is a grossly irresponsible activity, and sends out an entirely inappropriate message to the public, as well as obviously causing stress to their animals and birds. Ban the Bang! has campaigned for over 5 years to ban fireworks that cause distress to animals and also presents sensible, non-killjoy proposals. In that time we have compiled a huge dossier of incidents describing death, injury and loss of wildlife and pets, (including animal death from firework displays near sanctuaries), all which indisputably proves the link between animal suffering and excessive fireworks. (Read the comment pages on Ban the Bang!).

We wrote twice to Beale Park on Monday (30th Oct) with polite suggestions asking them to at least (at this short notice) switch their display arrangements in favour of responsible, peaceful fireworks (no-noise, low level). A “peaceful” display would also send out the appropriate message and therefore educate their visitors as well as their own staff about the use of fireworks around animals. We gave them till 10.30am Tue 31st Oct to respond. Beale Park didn’t even have the courtesy to reply.

If you read Beal Park's “about us” page on their website you would be given the impression of a tranquil, responsible charity providing an ideal haven for rare birds and animals. But if you had seen the front page of their site, (before it was removed) the commentary of “Bangs, pops and whizzes accompany the bright lights over Beale Park” sent out a ludicrously contradictory message. These kind of commercialised wildlife attractions are often focussed to pull in money through fun events. Fairground rides and puppet shows are fine … Huge firework displays (of any kind) at a zoo / animal park are contemptible, irresponsible and life threatening, and show no consideration for the animals in their keep.
Please read the follow-up to this incident here

New UK laws make no difference
(updated from 2004/5)

In 2006, Ban the Bang! have been busy making enquiries and discussing with various government departments in England and Scotland regarding the new animal welfare laws. In a few weeks, a full report of our work in this area will be published here at Ban the Bang and will reveal the general incomprehensible response from government relating to our concerns. While Ban the Bang continue to establish a direct link between animal suffering and fireworks, the relevant government departments fail to determine how this can be implied in an animal welfare law so that threatening fireworks can be banned!

As the UK firework season kicked off again in October/ November 2004 it became quickly apparent that new restrictions brought into effect earlier in the year had not curbed the irresponsible use of fireworks in any way.
From midnight 10 October 2004 it became an offence for under 18's to possess fireworks in public areas. Offenders face an instant, £80 fine. Those who refuse to pay the fines would face an increased penalty of £120, court action and eventually jail if they fail to pay up. Police now retain the power to prosecute the most serious offenders with penalties of a £5,000 fine as well as six months in prison.

Throughout the last year and into November 2005 reports clearly indicated that the new laws are not deterring firework users from irresponsible use. "Ban the Bang!" continues to receive correspondence relating to disturbances from the misuse of fireworks at the same volume as before the new laws came into effect. Even with new laws in place, the New Year period of 2005 was as busy as ever for Ban the Bang!, receiving the usual number of votes as irresponsible housholders set off inappropriately loud fireworks well into the early hours of the morning. This year the campaign has also received some very disturbing reports with photographic proof of animals being frightened to death. By early November 2005 UK votes for this campaign have risen more than in the two previous years, which proves without doubt that new UK laws are completly unaffective and poorly enforced.

The new UK laws are also supposed to make it an offence for any member of the public to let fireworks off between 11pm and 7am; a law which is clearly not being adhered to. Also part of the new UK "Firework Regulations 2004" act is a ban of the sale of fireworks that exceed noise levels of 120 decibels and a new licensing scheme has been introduced for shops wanting to sell fireworks all year round.

Beside many peoples' disappointment that there is still no sign of a law to ban outright loud and excessive fireworks, the new UK regulations are so clearly unenforceable that irresponsible use of fireworks continues around the country ... and judging by your comments it's already as bad as it ever was.

Ban the Bang! would like to call on the RSPB to begin in-depth research on the affects of fireworks on the wild bird population. To date, this issue has never been properly researched - and voters comments continue to provide evidence of bird deaths directly caused by fireworks.

This picture of a drowned badger was sent in by a voter whose neighbour's noisy firework party caused the animal to panic and run into the garden pond. For more on this incident see Voters Comments November 2004

Equally, organizations dealing with the elderly and children should also look into this, since many votes and comments express concern about frightened children and the elderly - as well as those of any age with a nervous disposition.

This campaign would like to hear from those of you who are suffering from continued misuse of fireworks. Your correspondence will be useful to help support future debates on this issue with governments both in the UK, Europe and world-wide. If you would like to send in incidents etc. please use the voting page and choose the option to "vote and contribute with a comment". Photographic evidence is also important, particularly the effects on birds. As mentioned, the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) are surprisingly, still taking a passive role in the argument as to whether fireworks cause detrimental suffering to wild birds. As one of our campaign voters pointed out, Ban the Bang is building up a significant dossier relating to this argument and with voters help through photographic evidence and reports, we will re-approach the RSPB with our evidence. To submit a report with photographic evidence please contact the campaign by using the "Contribute and Vote option" on the voting page

Global campaign activity and feedback

It goes without saying that from around the globe millions of domestic dogs and cats, as well as horses, are the most common reasons for people to vote on Ban The Bang! The number of votes from countries commonly associated with extreme firework use is rising. This is a good sign that people are beginning to think about the effects these "bomb" type explosives are having on their environment. Residents of Italy, France and even Brazil have been casting their votes.

Throughout 2003 and 2004 Ban the Bang! received many hundreds of comments - some of which have described very harrowing incidents of death, injury and terrified behavour of companion animals and wildlife. But this campaign has also received comments about children and adults being adversly affected by fireworks. One of these was sent in by a woman whose husband was killed by a firework at their wedding reception.
Of course, many voters also call for a complete ban of the sale of all fireworks to the public. In an ideal world this would be the campaign's first option too, but a balance has to be struck and the Ban The Bang! proposals call for a sensible compromise, which aims to eliminate the worst aspects of firework use that cause distress to animals and communities.

To appease firework fans as well, Ban the Bang asks that you read the section Why Ban The Bang! is not a "killjoy" campaign which will hopefully provide an acceptable explanation. You can also seek inspiration from the campaign's page called Enjoy an environmentally friendly firework display.
Ban the Bang! voting trends are showing that many young people between the ages of 16 and 21 are voting - particularly those in Europe. One comment in particular from a teenager in Croatia said it all in just four words... "Celebration - YES! ... Fireworks - NO!".

New Ban the Bang! posters
You can now download a choice of two posters. One in colour and one in plain text. Ban the Bang! suggests that you print these out and display them in veterinary practices, schools, colleges, riding schools, animal rescue centers and similar places.
Click here for the poster page.

VOTE HERE - Read the proposals then vote to Ban The Public Sale of Fireworks that Bang

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