A firecracker ban: Will it work?

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Despite all the appeals, warnings and even threats, Filipinos still continued to maim and even kill themselves in their very warped sense of celebrating the coming of the new year. Year after year, the same appeals, warnings and threats, fail to deter them from acquiring and using the most powerful and even the most deadly of the firecrackers that could be devised by unscrupulous producers who care only for the profits they can make out of the business.

It was not surprising, therefore, that, as of last night, the figures on firecrackers accidents and victims, already at more than 800, still continued to grow, and may probably reach the 1000 mark when reports from all the provinces and cities come in.

It is no wonder then that, President Aquino, appalled at the figures on the victims and casualties of firecrackers in the latest celebration, has began calling for a complete ban on their manufacture and sale. He has good reasons, but will it work? Even now we know of so many who justify the use of these devices to mark the change of year, who claim that better supervision and control could lessen the effects of such deadly aids to merrymaking.

Why can't we take a cue from other countries who celebrate new year's by spectacular fireworks displays and gathering people to watch and enjoy them? The biggest and more sophisticated cities in the world, from Paris, to Berlin, New York, London, Rome, Madrid, and others do not need firecrackers to mark the passing of the year. Why do Filipinos resort to devices that could cripple, blind, or injure them for life? Is there a death wish in such people, who often end up with the loss of fingers, a hand, or an arm, or even a leg, if not outright death?

Maybe the ban proposed by Malacañang will help, or maybe it will just add to the number of criminals who break the law by producing and selling such dangerous items as a business. But, by all means, government should step in and prevent similar accidents as those that injured or traumatized more than 800 people so far this year.*