Fireworks

In terms of harm, fireworks are very low down on the list of priorities to ban.  In 2017 there were 1,710 deaths in road accidents and there were 176,500 casualties of all severities.  Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-provisional-estimates-april-to-june-2017. 

In comparison, in 2015/16 St. John's Ambulance reported that 4,506 people visited A&E from 2014-2015 for treatment of a fireworks-related injury.  They don't mention any fatalities and I think they would be keen to note such if they had happened, so I think we can tentatively put the fatality figure at 0.  Source: https://www.sja.org.uk/sja/what-we-do/latest-news/firework-related-injuries.aspx.  

So it seems that fireworks cause approximately 2.6% of the casualties of motor vehicles.

Plus motor vehicles are often very noisy and disturbing at all times of the night and day and my experience is that this is much more frequently than with fireworks.

And if we're talking about banning things because of noise, and quality of life impact, then since I live under the Heathrow flight-path I'd much rather we talked about banning aircraft than fireworks.

But the take home is, if you really care about human and animal suffering, ban motor vehicles not fireworks because you'll have a much greater impact.

In terms of harm, fireworks are very low down on the list of priorities to ban.  In 2017 there were 1,710 deaths in road accidents and there were 176,500 casualties of all severities.  Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-provisional-estimates-april-to-june-2017. 

In comparison, in 2015/16 St. John's Ambulance reported that 4,506 people visited A&E from 2014-2015 for treatment of a fireworks-related injury.  They don't mention any fatalities and I think they would be keen to note such if they had happened, so I think we can tentatively put the fatality figure at 0.  Source: https://www.sja.org.uk/sja/what-we-do/latest-news/firework-related-injuries.aspx.  

So it seems that fireworks cause approximately 2.6% of the casualties of motor vehicles.

Plus motor vehicles are often very noisy and disturbing at all times of the night and day and my experience is that this is much more frequently than with fireworks.

And if we're talking about banning things because of noise, and quality of life impact, then since I live under the Heathrow flight-path I'd much rather we talked about banning aircraft than fireworks.

But the take home is, if you really care about human and animal suffering, ban motor vehicles not fireworks because you'll have a much greater impact.

With respect, Windscale, fireworks and motor vehicles are of an entirely different order of things.  Motor vehicles, as much as they cause a lot of damage to life and to the environment, serve an entirely different purpose.  We couldn't get to where we want to go (including transporting sick people to A and E departments)  or have our vital supplies delivered to us, by fireworks.  These are a form of entertainment and spectacle, not an essential part of our our societal infrastructure.  Which isn't to say that I don't agree with you that motor vehicles cause a lot of damage.  But we could stop using fireworks without changing as much about society and it's functioning as we would if we stopped using motor vehicles.

Here's a video which many, I warn, may find very disturbing - so don't watch if you're easily upset...

The effect that fireworks can have on a dog.