Experts Call for Tighter Firework Rules in Europe
UCLA researchers argue in The BMJ that stronger regulation and school campaigns could reduce firework injuries across Europe.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Accidents
Live Poll
Should governments impose stricter rules on consumer fireworks?
UCLA experts called for stronger fireworks regulation in an opinion piece in The BMJ. The call follows a 7% rise in firework-related injuries in the Netherlands during the 2025-2026 New Year's celebrations.
Why it matters
Fireworks injure thousands of people each year in Europe, with common emergencies including severe burns, blast injuries, traumatic brain injuries, finger amputations and permanent blindness. The authors argue that children, young males, rural communities, lower-income groups and bystanders are disproportionately affected.
The Netherlands recorded 1,239 treatments and Italy reported 283 injuries, 54 of them hospitalised, on New Year's Eve. EU pyrotechnic imports reached a record €452 million in 2024, with the Netherlands taking 37.0% of extra-EU fireworks imports.
The players
University of California, Los Angeles
A public research university in Los Angeles whose experts authored the opinion piece calling for stronger fireworks regulation.
The BMJ
A long-established peer-reviewed medical journal published by the British Medical Journal group, in which the UCLA opinion piece appeared.
Eurostat
The statistical office of the European Union, which publishes official trade and import data for member states.
The details
The UCLA authors published their argument as an opinion piece in The BMJ and propose school-based campaigns using real-life stories and images of firework injury victims. Their proposal centres on tighter regulation of consumer fireworks, which a European directive governs while allowing member states to impose further restrictions.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: UCLA experts' fireworks regulation opinion piece published in The BMJ.
2025-2026 New Year's celebrations: Netherlands recorded 1,239 firework injury treatments.
December 2025: Eurostat published its latest fireworks import data.
Legal Context
The European directive on consumer fireworks sets common rules across the bloc but leaves member states free to impose stricter limits, which is the gap the UCLA authors target. Netherlands and Germany together received over 70% of extra-EU imports in 2024, making them key points where national restrictions would take effect.
Residents who buy consumer fireworks may face tighter national limits if member states act on the recommendations, changing what products are legal to purchase. Families with children are the group the authors say is most at risk, so school-based safety campaigns could reach households directly.
The takeaway
Stronger national rules and school-based education are the two levers the UCLA authors highlight for reducing firework injuries. Readers planning New Year's celebrations can lower their own risk by using professional displays rather than consumer fireworks.
Further reading
Explore more Accidents coverage to see how firework and other injury incidents are reported across regions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Euronews English.
Live Poll
Should governments impose stricter rules on consumer fireworks?
