It’s the weekend before the Fourth of July – you know when we celebrate our independence from the snooties over in Great Britain with sudsy beers, grilled meats and brilliant displays of colorful, aerial explosions. If you live in Massachusetts, though, the latter is untrue for the most part and many of us make our way to our northerly neighbor, New Hampshire, to obtain fireworks because they’re essentially illegal here. Buzz kill.
That’s right, Bay Staters. Here’s your friendly reminder that fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts, the birthplace of American liberty. Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?
Before you make your way up to the Live Free or Die State to replenish your arsenal, though, as this weekend is really the last prime opportunity to do so before July 4th, keep in mind that it isn’t just possession of fireworks that’s illegal. Transporting them to Massachusetts is also unlawful.
Sorry, my fellow patriots.
According to Massachusetts General Law, fireworks, which are classified as containing any explosive or flammable compound for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, are illegal for sale in the Commonwealth. If caught dealing them, the offender is subjected to a fine between $100 and $1,000.
A person found to be in illegal possession of fireworks will be dealt with a bit easier, a fine between $10 and $100, probably because, well, ‘Merica.
There is one stipulation, though, that allows a person to light ’em up if one is so inclined. Massachusetts Americans can fill out an application for a permit that would give them permission to acquire and explode fireworks, pending the approval of the Department of Fire Services.
The only issue is, should you plan to file the paperwork, you need to fill out the application 20 days in advance of when you plan on setting of the light show.
So yeah, if you haven’t put in for a permit yet you’re shit out of luck. Unless of course you’re willing to face a potential $10 fine. Oh, and keep in mind that the police don’t need a warrant to seize your fireworks and arrest you, if you’re not sneaky enough to get away with it.
Before we go on mocking the state for its hypocritical stance on fireworks and independence, let us not forget that it’s all in the name of safety.
As noted by the Executive Office of Public Safety, the state of Washington, whose population equates to that of Massachusetts’ give or take a few and where fireworks are completely legal, suffers from “almost twice as many fires from fireworks, and have 45 injuries from fireworks for every one we experience here in the Commonwealth.”
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission adds that “fireworks injuries send over 2,500 children under age 15 to emergency rooms each year in the U.S. around the 4th of July.”
So yeah, while fireworks are fun and pretty and commemorate everything our country was built on and stands for, they’re dangerous. The last thing I want to report on is the number of Fourth of July-related injuries, so please be careful and plan to celebrate safely.
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