Child ploy to beat fireworks age limit

Press, 4 November 1986, Page 1

Child ploy to beat fireworks age limit

By

JOHN HARFORD

Young children were banding together to beat the age restriction on the sale of fireworks, said a Labour Department inspector of explosives yesterday.

A new law this year prohibits the sale of fireworks to people aged under 14. Mr Steve Jones said groups of children, aged between 10 and 13, were pooling their money and sending the eldest looking of their number to buy fireworks. About six complaints a day about children buying fireworks were being made to the dangerous goods section of the Labour Department. Mr Jones said most complaints came from concerned parents. About 100 retailers had been visited by inspectors because of the complaints. They had been reminded of their obligations under the new law and no further action had so far been i taken, said Mr Jones. News media coverage

of the new law had been widespread and all main wholesalers were reminding retailers of the age limit, he said. All retailers visited by the department’s inspectors had said they did not know that they had sold fireworks to someone under 14. It was often difficult to determine the age of some children. “It is a very difficult law to enforce,” said Mr Jones. It was not illegal for children under 14 to possess fireworks, only someone to sell fireworks to them. Mr Jones said many people would like to see the private use of fireworks abolished. Instead they wanted all fireworks to be limited to organised displays. He encouraged those people to tell their members of Parliament

what they believed. “Perhaps if we get enough people telling their M.P.s they want fireworks abolished they will pass a law to that effect.” New Zealand was one of a few remaining countries to allow fireworks to be used privately, he said. Mr Jones said he had gained the impression that many retailers did not really want to sell fireworks. “Some see them as just a nuisance. They only have them because if they don’t sell them someone else will,” he said. Most retailers approached by “The Press” yesterday said the demand for fireworks was slightly down this year. Plenty of stock was available, but several dairies had either chosen to sell only a few or none at all.