Citizens Against Noise Pollution supports decision on fireworks

Citizens Against Noise Pollution Trinidad and Tobago (CANPTT) has welcomed the Government’s decision not to have the state-sponsored fireworks display for Independence Day this year.

In a statement, CANPTT said the decision addresses longstanding concerns about the effects of fireworks on citizens and communities. The group noted that fireworks have been a source of distress for vulnerable groups including the elderly, children, persons with disabilities, and pet owners.

CANPTT also highlighted risks associated with fireworks, including bodily harm and property damage. The organisation recalled several incidents over the past decade that underscored the need for stronger regulation. These included a seven-year-old boy in Arima who sustained burns in 2019 when a firework landed in his yard, a teenager in San Fernando who lost partial vision in 2017 after a premature explosion, a Laventille family whose home was destroyed by a fire in 2015, and two children in Chaguanas who were hospitalized in 2013 after suffering hand injuries.

According to CANPTT, the ban acknowledges that the costs of fireworks, including human injury, medical treatment, animal distress, and environmental impact, outweighed their use in entertainment during celebrations such as Diwali and Old Year’s Night.

The organisation described the measure as a victory for citizens, noting that families had lived in fear during fireworks season, with concerns over injury, property damage, and distress to animals. CANPTT added that the ban restored a sense of safety within communities.

The group also urged the Government to ensure proper enforcement of the measure and to promote alternatives such as laser light shows and drone displays, which it said provide entertainment without the associated risks. In addition, CANPTT called on authorities to address the issue of noise from bars, entertainment venues, private citizens, and vehicles, which it described as another form of intrusion into communities.

CANPTT thanked advocacy groups and citizens who supported the campaign to end fireworks use and said the decision demonstrated that collective action could result in policy change.

It comes days after the Government announced there will be no state-sponsored fireworks for this year’s independence celebrations.