Enlarge image
Spent firecrackers on the street (New Year's Eve 2019/2020 in Düsseldorf)
Photo: David Young/ DPA
Politicians in the traffic light coalition are concerned about New Year's Eve in view of the difficult situation in the hospitals.
"Although I understand the appeal of fireworks well, I think that we simply cannot afford injuries from firecrackers at the moment and should generally save better," said Green health expert Janosch Dahmen of "Welt".
In view of the many serious injuries caused by New Year's Eve firecrackers in previous years, he had often asked himself whether it was worth "that we in Germany accept such dangers from firecrackers and fireworks due to the largely unregulated use that has been common for decades," said the doctor.
"This question is currently all the more urgent as the entire emergency medicine and rescue services are already under extreme pressure due to a large shortage of staff and numerous serious respiratory diseases."
However, Dahmen did not make an explicit demand for a ban on the sale and private use of fireworks on New Year's Eve.
»Careful and considerate«
The health policy spokeswoman for the FDP parliamentary group, Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, considers a general ban on firecrackers to be “not appropriate”, as she told the newspaper.
However, she is open to municipalities designating zones where fireworks are not allowed on New Year's Eve.
"Of course, cities and municipalities should continue to decide whether a partial ban on fireworks makes sense" - for example in busy places or in historic old towns.
In view of the "precarious supply situation in the hospitals, we have to appeal to the population to behave carefully and considerately," said Aschenberg-Dugnus.
The CEO of the German Hospital Society (DKG), Gerald Gass, had previously outlined the fears of the industry.
"We have to assume that the hospitals and their emergency rooms will be as heavily burdened with fireworks injuries on New Year's Eve as they were in the years before the pandemic," he told the editorial network Germany.
"On New Year's Eve of the 2020/21 firecracker ban, the hospitals counted two-thirds fewer fireworks seriously injured people on the wards.
Similarly, the emergency rooms were noticeably relieved,” said Gass.
The return of normal celebrations at the turn of the year 2022/23 with firecrackers now meets "the continuing tense situation of frequent respiratory diseases and staff absences due to sick employees".
Gass emphasized that the DKG was against a general ban on fireworks, but appealed to use rockets and firecrackers responsibly and carefully.
»That can already help the hospitals and their employees.«
The head of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, had previously spoken out in favor of a permanent ban on firecrackers.
Other critics of fireworks - including environmental organizations - also complain about the high level of fine dust pollution, the amount of waste and the stress on animals.
wit/dpa/AFP