Supporters pitch nationwide ban on noisy fireworks

Supporters of Switzerland’s fireworks initiative are urging voters to back a nationwide ban on fireworks that cause noise. They say the blasts frighten animals and harm nature, SRF reported. The vote is scheduled for November 29.

The initiative’s committee presented its case to the media in Bern on Tuesday. Representatives of Swiss Animal Protection and other animal welfare organisations, wildlife rangers and farmers took part.

The committee says fireworks noise causes domestic, farm and wild animals to experience fear and panic. It also argues that fireworks create large amounts of waste and burden the natural environment. The private use of fireworks, it says, repeatedly leads to fires and accidents, some causing serious injuries.

The campaign began on October 5 with advertisements on 917 digital screens at railway stations and in city centres across Switzerland’s language regions. The committee plans to expand it in the coming weeks to around 3,850 screens nationwide.