HIGH PENALTIES FOR FIRECRACKERS: If a child commits an offence, parent will have to pay HUGE AMOUNTS
Police will hand out fliers with information about dangers when using pyrotechnics
Sarajevo police try, like every year, to reduce the use of pyrotechnics to minimum so the injuries of children and grown ups can be prevented. Ministry of Internal Affairs appeals to all citizens, especially to parents, to take care before the upcoming holidays and watch their children from getting in contact with pyrotechnics.
Police will hand out fliers with information about dangers when using pyrotechnics.
- Purchase and resale of pyrotechnics disturbs public order and peace, citizens are disturbed, and injuries are quite common, especially with younger persons. The selling of pyrotechnics has a mark of violation within the authorities. We stress that possession in public place, setting on fire, giving, selling, buying and offering of pyrotechnic is sanctioned by the Law on Offences against Public Peace and Order - explains Irfan Nefic, Sarajevo police spokesman.
Nefic said that, if a minor commits an offence, the fine will be issued to parents or guardians.
- The penalties for an adult range from 300 to 900 Kuna (from 150 to 460 euros), and the parents of juvenile offenders from 400 to 1,200 KM (200 to 600 euros) - said Nefic.
Nefic said that Ministry of Internal Affairs, in cooperation with City council, take necessary measures in New Year's night. Policemen in uniform and undercover will be on locations where pyrotechnics are being resold. Also, joined actions with competent inspections will be organized to end the illegal purchase, selling and using of pyrotechnics. Police will, besides this, hold meetings with management and teaching staff in elementary and high schools on the Sarajevo Canton area.
Director of the Institute for Emergency Medical Services of Clinical Center, Sena Softic-Taljanovic, given the upcoming holidays, appealed to citizens, especially parents, to be conscientious and to spend a holiday night without pyrotechnics. She stressed that the holidays can be conducted without a burning firecrackers, reports Avaz.ba.
- Celebration should be in joy and happiness without the use of pyrotechnics. No one wants to turn joy in holiday night into problems. Considering my long term experience, holidays can easily turn into unfortunate event because many are not aware that pyrotechnic is hazardous for health. We especially think about the parents of underage children - said Softic-Taljanovic.
She adds that inadequate handling of pyrotechnics or malfunction can have terrible consequences.
- We had a case of finger amputation. Besides this, blindness can easily occur, face and body burns, hearing and vision disorders. Firecracker, when it explodes in hand, can easily cause disability. I appeal to all parents not to buy, or at least bring the use of pyrotechnics to a minimum. Firecrackers are like "small grenades". On the other hand, there were cases that someone throws a firecracker in someone's jacket or hear. It doesn't mean that there will be an injury, but people get scared, have stress and that is one of the consequences - concludes Softic - Taljanovic.