Constanța joins list of cities in Romania to ban New Year’s Eve fireworks

On New Year’s Eve, the local authorities in Constanța will no longer organize the traditional fireworks display. The decision was made to protect animals as well as the environment.

The seaside city of Constanța thus joins a growing list of cities in Romania to ban fireworks, Digi24 reported. Cluj-Napoca, Ploiești, Iași, and Brașov also banned the traditional fireworks show. Instead, these will be replaced with light and drone shows.

According to experts, fireworks can cause panic and extreme stress to animals, especially dogs.

In addition, fireworks can also be very pollutive to the air. They are filled with several well-known air pollutants, such as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ultrafine particles (UFPs). According to Airly, fireworks pollutants are able to travel with atmospheric wind currents for miles or stay in the air for even 5 hours after the end of the show, depending on the weather conditions.

Aside from large-scale firework shows, firecrackers also represent a danger. Earlier this year, the Romanian Parliament increased penalties for unauthorized usage of fireworks. Initiators of the bill say that every winter, hundreds are injured due to firecrackers, most of them children.

Other states have also taken a harsher stance against fireworks, seeing their connection to violent protests. The United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands all saw legislative proposals to rein in the use of fireworks. In Belgium, Flemish mayors called for a similar ban across Europe.

(Photo source: Mulikov | Dreamstime.com)