CLEVELAND — With July 4 around the corner, Ohioans are prepping to don their red, white and blue and celebrations are likely to look a bit different this year.
Purchasing commercial-grade fireworks in Ohio is already legal, but folks were required to take them out of state to discharge them.
Under the new law, Ohioans can discharge fireworks July 3 through July 5, along with the Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays before and after July 4, Labor Day weekend, Diwali, New Year’s Eve and Day, Lunar New Year and Cinco de Mayo. Fireworks also can be ignited Memorial Day weekend starting next year, as well as Juneteenth in 2023.
“We know that folks are purchasing fireworks and setting them off. So let’s take an opportunity from a legislative standpoint and make sure that we are putting additional safety opportunities for people to learn about the safety of fireworks,” said state Rep. Brian Baldridge, R-Winchester, one of the main sponsors of the fireworks law.
Kevin McJunkins said he is among the Ohio residents in support of the new law.
“I just like stuff that goes up and make a lot of noise,” McJunkins said. “I’m kind of a novice.”
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks-related injuries and deaths went up by about 50% in the U.S. during the pandemic.
According to the recent data, 18 people died in 2020 after incidents involving fireworks. That’s compared to 12 people in 2019.
Nearly half of the victims were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The same data showed trips to emergency rooms also went up. More than 15,000 people were treated in emergency rooms in 2020 due to fireworks-related injuries. That’s up from about 10,000 people in 2019, with firecrackers being the cause of most of those injuries.
“There’s a committee that are going to put these pamphlets together to ensure that they are handed out, given out when fireworks are purchased. And hopefully folks will take the time to make sure that they’re using safety precautions,” said Baldridge.
Injury risk and affect on those with PTSD are several big reasons why some municipalities across the state are opting out of the new fireworks law.
This includes Cleveland Heights, Columbus and Dayton.
“We decided that it would be more detrimental to the city of Cleveland Heights,” said Kahlil Seren, mayor of Cleveland Heights. “Limiting the use of fireworks by private individuals is one of those steps that we’re going to take to make our people more safe.”
McJunkins agreed that safety is top priority, but said setting off fireworks should be allowed everywhere across the state.
“I don’t see the danger in it if you’re supervised properly. I mean, that’s the key,” McJunkins said.
