Photo credit: Belinda Schindler by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition Amid growing evidence that fireworks severely stress wild animals and pets, a pet owner in North Somerset is trying to make her county the UK’s first “low noise firework county.” According to Somerset Live, Lorraine Hopkinson-Parker from Backwell set up the petition after
Photo credit: Damir Mijailovic by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition We have written several blog posts over the years about fireworks frightening animals, especially dogs, but this article in Patch discusses how fireworks sounds can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in military veterans. There are several other groups who are also at risk
Photo credit: Ali Müftüoğulları from Pexels by Jan L. Mayes, MSc, Audiologist, Member, The Quiet Coalition If only all fireworks were low noise or quiet. It’s that time of year when noisy fireworks are set off in my residential neighborhood. I’ve been left with ear pain and ringing, while my dogs and cat are terrified
Photo credit: Magda Ehlers from Pexels by Jan L. Mayes, MSc, Audiologist A recent article reports that people in Canada have been setting off more fireworks during the pandemic, and people are fed up with the noise. Listed fireworks dangers include risk of serious personal injury and property damage from fires. Danger has been highlighted
Photo credit: Charles from Pexels by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition Fireworks scare dogs. Both USA Today and Wisconsin Public Radio have warnings about how fireworks stresses animals, and things you can do to try to keep your pets--especially dogs--calm. Some communities have started using quiet fireworks, that don’t have the “BOOM” associated
Photo credit: Jonas Von Werne from Pexels by Jan L. Mayes, MSc, Audiologist A recent article is a good reminder that fireworks can damage hearing. Fireworks are loud explosive blasts of sound that can cause permanent hearing loss, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, and hyperacusis or painful decreased sound tolerance. Even temporary distortion, muffling,
Photo credit: Kaique Rocha from Pexels by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition This report from television station WLKY in Louisville, Kentucky correctly warns that noise from fireworks can cause permanent hearing loss. The report doesn’t explicitly state this, but I think they are talking about “do it yourself” fireworks, not fireworks displays in
After a New Year’s fireworks display resulted in the death of hundreds of birds, Devon council in the UK is enforcing a noise limit on future displays.
Ford designs noise-proof kennels for noise-hating dogs. That’s a nice gesture, but it’s obviously an expensive—and unattainable—piece of kit. Instead, we can help all dogs by demanding quiet fireworks.
Fireworks banned on the Galapagos to protect wild life. Kudos to Ecuador for taking action—it’s clear that fireworks pose a serious health threat to all living things.
