Most Netherlands residents have no idea about firework bans in their area
More than half of the residents of areas with firework bans had no idea they were in place, a survey conducted by insurance company Achmea concluded, the AD reported. Around 21 percent of the 1000 people asked admitted that they pay very little attention to the measures and light fireworks anyway.
The issue around fireworks has been a divided topic in the Netherlands for years. A motion to ban fireworks across the country did not get approved by the lower house of Parliament the Tweede Kamer last year. This means that the municipalities can decide their own rules and measures regarding the fireworks.
Three more municipalities have announced a fireworks ban this year. They joined the other 16 municipalities that had this in place for the last few years. Utrecht, Alkmaar, and Zutphen announced firework bans for this New Year’s Eve. Over 300 municipalities still allow fireworks to be set off.
The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) has criticized the fact that the rules differ per place. They would prefer a national ban as they feel that enforcing the rules locally is almost impossible. It is not a priority for the police, and they only get involved in severe cases, which means that municipalities are reliant on their own staff members to enforce the rules, but they cannot always be used.
Fireworks are still immensely popular in the Netherlands. Around 100 million euros was spent on fireworks last year, and the BPN, the Pyrotechnics Organization of the Netherlands, is expecting a 15 percent increase this year.
