GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Illegal aerial fireworks light up the sky in the Liliha area on New Year’s Day, 2024.
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In response to the Salt Lake firework explosion, government officials have been focusing on tougher penalties for those who break fireworks laws. Some ideas proposed by our politicians include stiffer penalties for fireworks posession and increasing prosecution of those found to be using fireworks. However, deterrence of a good with as high of a demand as fireworks has limits. Similar to why Prohibition in the United States failed in the 1930s, people would likely continue to use fireworks, overly relying on the illegal market which the state cannot regulate.
Given the high demand of fireworks, a better solution to reduce the harmful effects of fireworks is to tax fireworks. The money gained could be used to regulate safety and educate the people of Hawaii on how to handle fireworks. As we turn into the new legislative session, I implore our legislators to consider alternative ideas to regulate fireworks.
Zoe Stenger
Kuliouou
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