Fun without a blast

The campaign, titled “Have fun without having a blast”, was launched last Friday at the Old Fire Station, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain.

“The damage is not just inflicted at Christmas or New Year’s or Independence or Divali,” Cuffie said. “It could happen at any event, any time, and anywhere.

The ubiquitous use of scratch bombs has become the bane of many events, of many otherwise joyful celebrations. Their indiscriminate and illegal use has resulted in untold damage to property, loss of limbs, loss of hearing, serious injury to pets and other animals and a plethora of complaints from frustrated citizens, particularly the elderly.” This campaign is supported by us and should be promoted actively by members of civil society.

It is long overdue.

Though scratch bombs are illegal under the Explosives Act and Summary Offences Act, you would not be able to tell this given their prevalence and the lack of enforcement.

Cuffie also disclosed an alarming practice that is taking place.

Unscrupulous businesses are using loopholes to allow the importation of scratch bombs under the sanctioned class of “fireworks”.

This cannot be allowed and business chambers must seek as much as possible to exert influence on this matter.

The price we pay as a society is too high. From grannies losing thumbs, to severe injuries to teachers. Not to mention the impact of these devices on animals.

Terrified dogs run into the road and under vehicles, some are lost.

In fact, some dogs have been known to try and attack fireworks or firecrackers, eat them, catch them or try to play with them.

There are many stories. According to one account, in 2010, in the United States, a dog tried to fetch a lit firework and the rocket exploded in its mouth. The dog had to be euthanised. Though meant for entertainment, scratch bombs are a considerable cause of suffering.

There are many letters every year complaining about these bombs and fireworks. But this year we had a graphic reminder of the problem. During Divali observances, Sally-Ann Cuffie, a grandmother, was driving her car when a scratch bomb was thrown through her window and, in order to save her grandchild, she grabbed the device that blew up in her hand leaving her severely injured. Yet, the response to this kind of thing has been relatively tepid.

As one letter-writer recently pointed out, on December 6, the Grenadian police led a massive crackdown on the illegal sale of fireworks. Raymond Matthew of the Royal Grenada Police Force said that “whatever we get on (the) streets, we will seize them and we will also search the stores.” In Trinidad and Tobago, we cannot even arrest the sale of scratch bombs.

While we welcome the minister’s public awareness campaign, this must not be the end of the matter. The approach must go beyond the end-user/consumer and also include the policing of business and the enforcement of laws meant to protect us. It is not enough to merely appeal to citizens to “develop a culture of care for their neighbours and elderly” while these other areas are left unaddressed. Along with the scratch bomb menace, there is also the problem of the indiscriminate use of fireworks in residential areas, and firecrackers.

These must also be addressed.

The Government has made a good start by launching an education campaign. We can only urge citizens to be responsible and end the practice of using these items.

But we warn that it is equally important that the Government enforces the law on illegal import and sale as well.