Don’t shoot! Why it is worth to support a ban on fireworks

For humans it is an element of New Year’s entertainment, for animals an enormous harm. Noise associated with the use of pyrotechnics can, in extreme cases, even lead to death. It is therefore hardly surprising that a growing part of societies around the world supports the introduction of a ban on fireworks. Unfortunately, in Poland this initiative encounters serious obstacles.

Silence for nature

Most animals, including dogs and cats, have much more sensitive hearing than humans. Unlike people, they also do not understand the entertaining nature of fireworks displays. Any loud noise is for them a signal that danger is approaching. Owners of domestic pets know well the sad symptoms of extreme fear: animals squeal, hide under furniture and tremble with fear.

Aerial explosions have an even greater impact on animals living outdoors. There are known cases of horses dying after suffering serious injuries during a panicked escape from the noise. Similar reactions are observed in birds, which take off from their nests and fly blindly, risking collisions with buildings or death from exhaustion. According to scientists from Amsterdam, who conducted radar-based studies in 2008–2010, every New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands causes harm to millions of birds.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fireworks generate noise levels of up to 150 dB. Their impact on wild animals unfortunately accumulates over time. A single blast is merely a signal to flee, while prolonged shooting becomes a real torment. It raises heart rate and stress hormone levels, which leads to a weakening of the immune system.

Data from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the United Kingdom (RSPCA) show that marine mammals living near the coast pay for the madness of New Year’s Eve nights with disorientation and disruption of their natural feeding cycles.

Ban on lighting fireworks in Kraków

On 19 November 2025, the Kraków City Council adopted a year-round ban on the use of fireworks, firecrackers and other pyrotechnic materials within its jurisdiction. Its aim is to protect the life, health and peace of residents, as well as the welfare of domestic and free-living animals. On the occasion of this year’s New Year’s Eve, Kraków residents will exceptionally be allowed to shoot fireworks from 10.00 pm to 2.00 am. This decision is explained by the late date of the adoption of the resolution and preparations that may have been made earlier.

The introduction of the fireworks ban in Kraków has not pleased everyone. The Małopolska voivode has challenged the resolution in an administrative court, arguing that the law will be difficult to enforce and that its impact on the freedom to conduct business raises serious doubts. Survey results, however, indicate that 75 percent of residents support the ban.

The world wants to celebrate more quietly

Meanwhile, restrictions on the use of pyrotechnics are being introduced increasingly widely around the world. On 1 December 2025, a ban on the use of fireworks within a distance of less than 250 m from hospitals, senior homes, zoos, animal shelters and facilities involved in animal breeding was introduced across the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Agriculture prepared a special map designating no-shooting zones.

A ban on the use of fireworks by private individuals is also in force in Ireland and Vietnam. Only professionals may organise light displays in the sky. Similar restrictions will be introduced next year in the Netherlands. A total ban on pyrotechnic activities has already been imposed by dozens of Chinese cities, led by Beijing, as well as selected cities in Romania. In many American metropolitan areas as well, including Massachusetts, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the use of fireworks is very limited. People do not give up having fun, but it does not take place at the expense of animals.