Posted on: Saturday, December 15, 2001
New year may start with little less noise
By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer
It may be a less noisy, smoky and dangerous New Year's Eve in Hawai'i this year, officials said yesterday, amid signs that sales of firecrackers will shrink again.
"We expect the use of firecrackers will be down dramatically, because of the permit system now in effect," said Douglas Yee, president of the American Lung Association of Hawai'i.
Use of firecrackers on New Year's Eve has long been a tradition among Hawai'i's Asian groups. Over the years, it has gained popularity among others, as well.
But the practice has caused clouds of smoke to fill many neighborhoods, creating a health hazard for many with respiratory problems.
A new permit system went into effect July 15, 2000, to counter the problem.
Individuals now must purchase a $25 permit at City Hall or its satellites. The permits allow users to buy up to 5,000 firecrackers. Fireworks may be fired only between 9 p.m. New Year's Eve and 1 a.m. New Year's Day.
Firecracker sales in Honolulu will begin Dec. 26, the day after Christmas, and continue until 9 p.m. New Year's Eve.
The number of licenses issued for fireworks businesses this year has dropped nearly 50 percent from last year, and major retailers have indicated they will carry a smaller inventory of fireworks this year, the Honolulu Fire Department said this week.
The Fire Department is again urging residents to forgo their own fireworks activities and watch public fireworks displays. The main public display this year will be at Sand Island State Park at Ala Moana Beach.
Ihilani Resort and the Kahala Mandarin Oriental hotel also plan public displays, said Capt. Kenison Tejada, Fire Department spokesman.
This year, only 123 permits to sell fireworks have been issued to O'ahu businesses compared with 237 last year. Of the 123, 98 have been issued to retailers, seven to importers, nine to storage businesses and nine to wholesalers, with some holding licenses in more than one category, Tejada said.
Tejada said the reason for the falloff in business may be the economic slowdown and psychological reaction after the Sept. 11 attacks. He also said the new permit law may be having an effect.
Security changes since Sept. 11 have not added any new restrictions to fireworks use, he said.
The requirement for permits, and the cap on the number of firecrackers which can be purchased under each permit, is credited with reducing the number of fireworks-related incidents on July 4.
The Fire Department reported 17 such incidents this year, compared with 37 last year and 30 in 1999.
The restrictions are also believed to have reduced air pollution from fireworks last New Year's Eve, according to measurements at six monitoring stations on O'ahu.
Yee, of the Lung Association, said he expects firecracker use to continue to decline, but warned that residents may switch to the home display types of fireworks which can be purchased without permits but also cause a great deal of smoke.
The association suggests that people with respiratory problems rent air-conditioned hotel rooms to avoid the fumes in their neighborhoods. The group also makes breathing masks available to those with such problems. For information, call 537-5966.
Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.
