Today, on 07.12.2020, our organization has sent a letter to the responsible institutions, namely acting President, Vjosa Osmani, Office of the Prime Minister (Mr. Avdullah Hoti, Mr. Besnik Tahiri), Mr. Agim Veliu, Mr. Armend Zemaj, representatives of the Food and Veterinary Agency and Mr. Sazan Ibrahimi, from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities.

Below, you can read the full request:

REQUEST

FOR PROHIBITION OF THE USE OF FIREWORKS IN PUBLIC AND RESIDENTIAL SPACES FOR THE END OF THE YEAR HOLIDAYS

The end-of-year holidays are approaching. Just as it happens in other parts of the world, in our country as well, one of the ways of celebration is through fireworks. While visually fireworks can look beautiful to the eye, their negative effects cannot be easily ignored. In fact, these effects have a negative impact on many factors, so that banning their use should be an expected decision. Below, we list some of the negative effects of using fireworks:

• Impact on the environment: Fireworks cause widespread air pollution in a short time, leaving behind metal particles, dangerous toxins, harmful chemicals and smoke in the air for hours and days. Some of the toxins are never completely broken down or decomposed, but instead stick around in the environment, poisoning everything they come in contact with. In a fireworks display, those particles that fall to the ground (chemicals and the actual physical parts of the waste) often contain chemicals and dyes that find their way into the ground and into our water system. Many of the raw materials used to create fireworks are mined from the mountains, a destructive process that cuts down forests and destroys wildlife habitats.In the last year, we have witnessed a very poor air quality in Kosovo, especially during the winter period, and this trend is unfortunately continuing this year. Given the air pollution caused by fireworks, it is more than logical to ban their use, so as not to further contribute to the deterioration of air quality.

• Health Impact: Exposure to fine particles, such as those found in smoke and fog, is associated with negative health implications, such as coughing, difficulty breathing, asthma attacks, and even heart attacks. People most at risk for exposure to these particles are those with heart or lung disease, pregnant women, the elderly and children.Noises from fireworks can exceed 140 decibels. Noise above 85 decibels can cause disturbances (especially since fireworks may sound like gunshots), temporary or permanent hearing loss, high blood pressure and sleep disorders. Also, improper use of fireworks can cause various physical injuries. In this time of pandemic we are going through, the overload of medical staff and hospitals and medical centers with problems caused by the use of fireworks, can be avoided, and should be avoided.
• Impact on animals: Dogs, cats and other animals do not understand what fireworks are – all they know is that there are strong, scary explosions and their instincts are activated, telling them to run and hide for safety. These outbreaks can leave animals confused, disoriented, lost, in a state of severe shock, or even dead.Hearing of many animals is much more sensitive than in humans, so fireworks explosions are not only more disturbing to them, but they can impair their hearing more severely. Noises caused by fireworks can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus. In addition to these injuries, the noises caused by fireworks harm the animals causing fear and anxiety. In fact, repeated exposure to sudden, unpredictable loud noises can cause phobia in many animals, increasing panic reactions to loud noises in the future.

Therefore, given the negative implications of the use of fireworks, we call on all responsible institutions to take the necessary actions to stop the use of fireworks in residential areas and public spaces during the holidays, in the interest of protecting human, environmental and animal health.

Animal Rights Foundation
Prishtina, 07.12.2020
www.animalrights-rks.org