Fireworks regulations - impact: case studies

Purpose of the paper 

This paper consists of seven case studies, each one aligned to one or more of the legislative options that have been considered by the Firework Review Group^[1]. Taking each case study in turn, the paper outlines the relevant fireworks regulations in the respective country before assessing the impact and effectiveness of the regulations. One or more of the case studies includes the 'best available' evidence on the following: fireworks-related injuries^[2], crime^[3], anti-social behaviour, emergency services (fire, ambulance, and police), the environment and firework imports. For some countries there is more or less evidence on each area than others. Where relevant, the case studies also include evidence on the effectiveness of mitigating actions in addition to the implementation and enforcement of regulations. The paper intended to aid the Group's evidence informed appraisal of the legislative options. 

The legislative options that have been considered are outlined in the table below, with each one assigned a reference letter. The current fireworks regulations in each of the case study countries are matched with these options where relevant. None of the case study countries included currently have regulations in place concerning the use of fireworks on private property (option C) or a proxy purchasing offence for supplying fireworks to those under 18 (option G).