Sis-Boom-Ahh
Representing the sound of a firecracker soaring and bursting, then the crowd’s reaction, “Sis-boom-ahh,” has been adopted across our country.
Fireworks are both a delight and a detriment for many. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA), consumers bought 246.5 million pounds of fireworks last year and 436.4 million pounds the year before that. Yet they continue to pose a safety risk both for professionals working with commercial-grade fireworks and those lighting the odd firecracker for fun.
Fireworks injuries are rising. According to a recent report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 9,700 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks injuries last year, eight of whom died. Two-thirds of the injuries occurred in the weeks before and after July 4.
For many, fireworks are fun. Lighting something on fire and watching it explode is undeniably thrilling. I remember as youngsters we often made balsa wood model airplanes just so we could wind the rubber band propeller, insert a firecracker in the cockpit and sail it into the yard to watch it explode!
The explosive history of fireworks goes back many years before the first American Independence Day celebration, which took place in 1777, in Philadelphia. Most historians believe fireworks originally were developed in second century B.C. in ancient Liuyang, China. The first natural “firecrackers” were bamboo stalks that when thrown into a fire would explode with a bang because of the overheating of the hollow air pockets in the bamboo. The Chinese believed these natural “firecrackers” would ward off evil spirits.
Sometime during the period 600-900 A.D., legend has it that a Chinese alchemist mixed potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal to produce a black, flaky powder – the first “gunpowder.” This powder was poured into hollowed out bamboo sticks (and later stiff paper tubes) forming the first man-made fireworks.
Fireworks made their way to Europe in the 13th century and by the 15th century were widely used for religious festivals and public entertainment. The Italians were the first Europeans to manufacture fireworks and rulers were especially fond of their use to “enchant their subjects and illuminate their castles on important occasions.”
Early settlers to this country brought their love of fireworks with them and they were part of that first Independence Day – a tradition that continues every 4th of July when we celebrate, as John Adams had hoped, “with pomp, parades, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.”
While July 4th is still the “big day,” Americans use fireworks year-round to celebrate special events like New Year’s Eve and sporting traditions such as the Olympics and Super Bowl. Fireworks entertainment generates dollars as well as smiles. Thunder Over Louisville is one of the country’s largest fireworks displays and generates more than $56 million for the local economy.
The interest in fireworks has never fizzled out, and they remain available across almost the entire country today. However, it is dangerous (and illegal, in some states) to own and set off fireworks, warning that the use of fireworks is best left to professionals. According to the APA, only Massachusetts bans all forms of consumer fireworks — including sparklers and firecrackers. Other states and the District of Columbia permit the sale of some or all types of fireworks. However, Illinois, Ohio and Vermont allow only wire or wood stick sparklers and other novelty items. In Hawaii, Nevada and Wyoming, fireworks are regulated at the county level.
In California, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Rhode Island, Roman candles are banned. Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Virginia, and Wisconsin allow only non-aerial and non-explosive fireworks. And in Stafford, Texas, consumer fireworks are illegal.
Safety experts say there are some best practices people can follow to have a blast without getting hurt, such as lighting fireworks outside, not holding lit fireworks in your hand and not using fireworks when impaired by alcohol or drugs. Fireworks can also pose a risk to human health by producing particulate matter and other pollutants and harm the environment by releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
My complaint is with those who set off a barrage of bangs – often at illegal times – just to make a lot of noise or shoot off fireworks that often land on neighbor’s roofs and property. And one of the most overlooked impacts of fireworks is how they may affect people who are ill, elderly, our own and neighbor’s pets, and wildlife.
Fireworks aren’t all bad. They’re a way to mark the passing of a year and welcome the next as well as celebrating our nation’s independence. But let’s be kinder to people, pets, and our planet, and achieve the same sense of ritual and collective joy without the injuries and destruction.
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