We celebrate creation with destruction.
Every July 4, we mark the birth of our country with fireworks and explosions. And our appetite for things that explode continues to grow. Last year, Americans consumed 225 million pounds of fireworks, up from 41 million pounds in 1980, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a trade organization of the fireworks industry.
While much of those fireworks are used in professional holiday displays, there also is a increase in fireworks usage by the public.
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that states are making fireworks more accessible to consumers. Now, only three states – Delaware, Massachussetts and New Jersey – ban the sale of all fireworks to consumers.
State officials see their residents going to other states to buy fireworks, That’s lost tax revenue. So states are loosening fireworks sales laws.
The latest is New York state. Starting this year, each New York county was given the opportunity to legalize fireworks sales. Thirty-one of 62 counties said yes, according to a recent USA Today report.
There is a similar effort in Illinois. Right now, the Illinois Pyrotechnic Use Act prohibits the sale of fireworks to consumers, except for the novelty items such as snake or glow worm pellets, sparklers, smoke devices and “party poppers.”
State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) sees Illinois money flowing to Indiana and Wisconsin, where consumer fireworks sales are legal. He believes fireworks sales could bring $10 million in tax revenue into Illinois coffers, according to a February Champaign/Urbana News Gazette report.
So, he has introduced legislation (Senate Bill 1661) that wouls amend the Illinois Pyrotechnic Use Act to allow fireworks sales to consumers and impose a 3.75 percent sales tax. Larger professional-grade fireworks still would be prohibited.
The bill hasn’t gone anywhere, at least not yet.
Consumer fireworks sales has opponents. Two of those opponents are the U.S Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Illinois State Fire Marshal. They contend injuries increase in states that allow consumer fireworks sales.
And even with Illinois’ restrictions, in 2014 there were 127 people injured by fireworks, the Illinois State Fire Marshal reports.
But there is a lot of money involved. The American Pyrotechnics Association estimates Americans spent $695 million on fireworks in 2014. How long can Illinois resist getting its slice of the pie?
Meanwhile, my advice is to stick to the professional displays. They are safer and they are legal.
You still can do it yourself, legally. My Dad used to put on a swell Fourth of July using only legal stuff – sparklers, punks, and snakes. For the grand finale, he’d light a red traffic flare.
But even with the legal stuff, be careful. As reported by the Illinois State Fire Marshal, can you guess the second most common cause of fireworks injuries in 2014?
Sparklers.
Paul Sassone is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.
