Three-quarters of Dutch want dangerous illegal fireworks added to weapons law

Three-quarters (77 percent) of Netherlands residents think dangerous illegal fireworks, like Cobras, should fall under the Weapons Act, according to an EenVandaag survey among 32,000 members of its opinion panel. “Let’s punish it for what it is: deliberately endangering lives,” one respondent said.

Over the summer, the Dutch parliament passed a motion to include dangerous illegal fireworks in the Weapons Act and treat them the same as hand grenades, for example. Outgoing Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz said she first wanted to investigate how effective that would be. The vast majority of Dutch don’t think waiting for an investigation is necessary.

Over half of Netherlands residents also think possessing “lighter” illegal fireworks should be punished more harshly. The penalties currently range from a fine of 400 euros to up to 9 months in prison - 15 months for a repeat offender. A quarter (23 percent) think those punishments are sufficient. They believe better enforcement is the solution. “With a higher chance of getting caught, I think the nuisance would be much less,” one respondent said.

Nearly 3,900 respondents said they planned to buy fireworks this year. About a third of them buy fireworks in Germany or Belgium or illegally in the Netherlands, mainly because they find them cheaper and better. “The approved fireworks in the Netherlands are three times as little and are more expensive than the nicer stuff from abroad,” one said. Another isn’t worried about the risks. “Why would fireworks be safe enough for people in Belgium or Germany but not for the Dutch?”