Photo credit: Marjan
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Over the years The Quiet Coalition has covered noise from fireworks and its effect on humans and especially dogs, usually in conjunction with Fourth of July celebrations. In the last year or two, fireworks in some communities have been replaced with drone displays. The year 2023 may be the first in which drone displays became commonplace.
The reasons for this are many. In Salt Lake City, abc.4 reported that the concerns were fire danger and air quality. In California, CBS News reported concerns including cost and water pollution from fireworks done over the water, as well as air pollution. CNN provides a national perspective on this new trend. In San Diego, local authorities noted that with many combat veterans living in the area, fireworks noise could cause post-traumatic stress disorder issues.
The Fourth of July holiday is now over but we are certain that in cities using drone displays instead of fireworks, dogs, families with dogs, military veterans with PTSD and infants and toddlers trying to sleep enjoyed a quieter and more peaceful holiday than in previous years.
We remind everyone that a quieter world will be a better and healthier world for all. Unnecessary noise is often accompanied by other hazards including pollution. Eliminating fireworks noise by using drone displays also gives us a safer and cleaner world.
