Banning fireworks not effective

The opinions that I state about a proposed fireworks ban in the City of Tumwater are as a private citizen and not as a council member for the City of Tumwater.

I understand the concerns of our citizens regarding the use of fireworks, such as potential fire hazards and discomfort to animals. We had two dogs that were very much bothered by fireworks. But the facts are that bans do little if any good to reduce the use of fireworks. The cities of Lacey and Olympia have had a total ban on fireworks for several years and there is little if any reduction in the use of fireworks that can be attributed to the bans. In general a ban only increases the perception that there will be a decrease in the use of fireworks.

The fireworks that are the biggest problem are already illegal and banned. A ban of any kind is difficult to enforce by a police department because the officer needs to witness the use of the fireworks and this seldom occurs. Also the sale of fireworks can still occur in Tumwater as there are pockets of the county within the city limits and sales in these pockets would still be legal. In fact there is no limit on the number of stands allowed in these pockets.

Because of bans not working, expectations rising, difficulty in enforcement and sales within the city limits I have been opposed to a total ban for the City of Tumwater.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 7:54 PM with the headline "Banning fireworks not effective."