Fireworks are widely used to mark public and private celebrations, as well as traditional events.  While adding excitement to occasions, fireworks can also frighten and disturb people and animals, cause annoyance, damage and impact on air quality.  St Edmundbury have produced A Guide to Organising Safe Firework Displays.

New legislation has been introduced to help to make fireworks safer to use and to tackle their deliberate misuse.  It affects how fireworks are imported, sold and used, and places restrictions on possession.  It means that fireworks will be safer, less noisy and can only be let off at certain times.  It also means that those misusing them to either damage property or injure will be able to be dealt with by the relevant authorities.  As a consumer you, along with retailers, have new responsibilities.

As from 1 January 2005, unless they have a special licence, suppliers must only sell fireworks during the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year.

• You cannot set off fireworks between 11pm - 7am.  The exceptions are:
• • On 5 November they can be set off until midnight.
  • New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali they can be set off until 1am
  • The other exception is for the purpose of local authority firework displays, national public celebrations or national commemorative events.

• You must be over 18 to buy fireworks.  The exceptions are:
• • caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throw downs, where the legal age of purchase is 16.
  
  
• It is an offence to throw or set off fireworks in a street or public place.
• It is illegal for anyone under 18 to posess fireworks in public.
• Retailers must only sell fireworks that conform to British Safety Standards and meet certain noise conditions (they must have BS 7114 printed on the box).