New Year's Eve: The German Medical Association calls for a permanent ban on firecrackers

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Fireworks behind the Jakobuskirche in Ilmenau

Photo: Michael Reichel/ dpa

The head of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, has spoken out in favor of a permanent ban on firecrackers.

"In the past two years we have had good experiences with a ban on firecrackers," he told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung".

Now the federal and state governments should decide on a permanent and comprehensive ban.

In the past two years, the New Year's Eve fireworks had been restricted by the corona measures.

At the turn of the year 2022/23, the firecrackers will return without restriction - to the displeasure of the President of the German Medical Association.

The "unregulated banging" no longer fit into the times, he said.

"It's bad for the environment and climate and repeatedly leads to serious injuries." Every year around 8,000 people in Germany suffer an injury to the inner ear from exploding fireworks, said Reinhardt.

Children, adolescents and young adults are often particularly affected.

In addition, there were injuries to the eyes and burns, said the head of the medical association.

"This means a heavy additional burden for the employees in the clinics, who have already been working at the limit for months." Reinhardt also thinks it is out of place to welcome the New Year with rockets while a war is raging in Europe.

Even if there is unlikely to be a ban on the sale of firecrackers and rockets this year, at least the imports of fireworks are currently well below the pre-corona level.

Around 81 percent fewer fireworks have been imported than in the pre-Corona year 2019.

The German Environmental Aid (DUH), together with environmental, medical and animal protection associations, is pushing for an immediate ban on private New Year's Eve fireworks.

"We demand an end to the archaic New Year's Eve firecrackers," said Jürgen Resch, DHU Federal Managing Director in November: "We also wish for glittering New Year's Eve celebrations," he said - but without air pollution, noise and waste.

kry/AFP