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The Netherlands is the first country in Europe to completely ban fireworks on New Year’s Eve: rockets and firecrackers cannot be bought or lit. This is to ease the healthcare system.
By Gudrun Engel, ARD-Studio Brussels
New Year’s Eve fireworks will be canceled throughout the Netherlands this year: rockets, firecrackers and firecrackers cannot be bought or lit anywhere in the country, as Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced.
As a result of the corona pandemic, the Dutch healthcare system has reached the limit of its limits and the central offices have demanded a ban on sales and ignition. Police also warn: First aid units are always overworked around the turn of the year, and the corona crisis is making it difficult to care for patients anyway.
Infectiologist Martin Grobusch of the Amsterdam University Hospital also hopes that the public will understand the sad turn of the year: “We are at capacity limits; now we must make sure we do not have to see more patients on New Year’s Eve. We have to maintain this risk as small as possible. ” . “
Hundreds injured by fireworks in 2019 alone
In numbers, that means: Last year, the police recorded more than 9,300 incidents, many of which were related to fireworks. That is why the police also called for a total ban. At the beginning of the year, 385 people in the Netherlands had to be treated in the emergency room for injuries caused by fireworks. Another 900 people went to their GP after the injuries. There were also 168 people with eye injuries. Therefore, the police and the health service are satisfied with the Hague decision.
However, disappointment and frustration in the fireworks industry. The cabinet wants to help fireworks vendors and put together a 40 million euro aid package. Traders still fear losses because they have already bought the fireworks and are now stuck on the products.
He is upset that the decision has just been made. “I make three-quarters of my annual sales with fireworks. Will the government make up for it all?” Asks wholesaler Frits Broks. The Pyrotechniek Nederland interest group believes that it is actually too late for a total ban and calls for a “good compensation system, otherwise bankruptcies cannot be avoided”.
Many Dutch fear that black market trade is flourishing
The question of enforcement and control remains. It depends on the police. The president of the police union, Gerrit van de Kamp, is satisfied with the clarity for consumers: “Of course, enforcement is difficult when there are different rules for different categories. But now it is very clear: it is simply not allowed. Period.” .
Fireworks sellers like Broks don’t expect everyone to comply with the ban: “This is wonderful for the illegal fireworks trade,” he says. “All you have to do is search the internet and there you can buy the heaviest fireworks.”
In September alone, Dutch and German police officers on both sides of the border confiscated 50 tons of massive explosive devices worth 750,000 euros, which were presumably destined for the private Dutch market. Also in the German-Dutch border region, many residents expect a lot of money in Germany. Dutch fireworks salesman Hayo Wolff moved his company to Germany 15 years ago. “This will be a gold mine for us,” says the businessman happily. “We are already seeing increased activity on our website.”
According to a street survey, the population welcomes the ban.
However, a poll in the streets of Maastricht, near the border, showed that the majority of the Dutch understand the ban on firecrackers. “I would like this to remain banned for years to come. I also think it makes sense beyond the Corona crisis,” says Evert Kuk. Daisy Smid adds: “I think that’s a good thing because a lot of accidents happen. Fireworks should only be set off by professionals. But fireworks will definitely be sold overseas.
Officially it’s clear: no sale, no roar. However, the question still remains of where the already ordered but now unsold fireworks should be stored, and who controls this storage. Strict conditions apply, because the merchandise is not entirely harmless: since the explosion at the fireworks factory in Enschede 20 years ago with 23 dead and almost 1,000 injured, the Dutch have been careful with fireworks anyway.
