Fireworks education campaign

Guide Dogs is calling on the Government to mount an education campaign to make consumers more aware about the responsible use of fireworks.

We have written to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to urge them to launch a safety campaign to coincide with new regulations which will come under force shortly under The Fireworks Act (2003).

Guide Dogs has made its representations as part of a consultation process over the new regulations.

Tom Pey, Guide Dogs' Director of Policy, explains:

"We want to strike a balance between the rights of people to enjoy fireworks and the adverse effects they can have on guide dogs and their owners.

"We believe the Government has a responsibility to encourage everyone to use fireworks responsibly. We would like to see a safety leaflet issued at the point of sale to cover issues such as safe distances to discharge fireworks from private residences, a recommended type of fireworks for private displays, and advice about pre-warning local residents about public displays."

The Association is also part of a group of charities, called The Animal Welfare Fireworks Coalition, who have campaigned to bring about a change in the law to control the sale and use of fireworks. The Coalition wants the DTI to go further than it has in the proposed new regulations - in particular by placing greater restrictions on the times of year fireworks are used and on the type of fireworks sold to the public. The Coalition is also calling for the compulsory labelling of fireworks.

Every year Guide Dogs is forced to sedate and retire a large number of guide dogs who have been traumatised by fireworks. This is not only very upsetting for their owners but also deprives them of the freedom and mobility their dogs provide.