Last week, more than 1,200 people were injured in the Netherlands during New Year’s fireworks celebrations. About one-third of these injured needed hospital care. Two people died. Emergency doctor Yara Basta-Bos described the damage as “just unbelievable,” recalling past extreme injuries like a patient losing an eye. Windows shook as explosions rocked streets. Firefighters faced 4,286 fire incident reports and attacks while trying to help. The chair of the Dutch fire service, Jolanda Trijselaar, said, “Our staff are there to help, not to be targets of violence.” Due to rising safety and environmental concerns, the Netherlands plans to ban most consumer fireworks by 2026. This move would make the country only the second in Europe, after Ireland, to enforce such a ban. Ines Kostić, MP from the Party for the Animals, said the ban is needed as people see the “great societal damage” fireworks cause. Some sellers worry that the ban will be ineffective, pointing to easy access to fireworks in neighboring countries. Similar debates are growing across Europe, with countries like Germany and Finland also discussing limits or bans. Cities like Athens and Nicosia have switched to light shows and drone displays for celebrations. The European Commission has noted problems in current firework safety laws, citing dangerous products and mail-order sales. The Dutch ban has parliamentary approval but awaits a plan to compensate the €129 million fireworks industry in 2025. Kostić said compensation is needed to gain support and avoid legal fights, despite the public paying much of the costs through health and environmental damage. Basta-Bos emphasized the need for safe alternatives: “If we don’t offer an alternative, I think chaos will reign.”