Good news for animal lovers and pet owners in the Netherlands. From 2026, a nationwide fireworks ban has officially been adopted. This means that consumer fireworks may no longer be sold or set off, with the exception of sparklers (category F1).

Why should there be a ban?

Every year, more than a thousand people end up in emergency rooms during New Year’s Eve. Of these, 37 percent are under the age of 16. Eye hospitals reported 187 cases of eye injuries, with around one third resulting in permanent damage. During the most recent New Year’s celebrations, at least twelve hands in the Netherlands were fully or almost fully amputated due to fireworks. These amputations, mainly caused by illegal fireworks, are affecting increasingly younger victims. Doctors are seeing a strong rise in severe injuries, according to the Dutch Association of Plastic Surgeons.

In addition to being dangerous and causing serious accidents, fireworks lead to millions of euros in damage every year. During the 2024/2025 New Year’s celebrations, damage amounted to approximately 16 million euros. For this year, damage is expected to reach 15.5 million euros.

The aftermath of the fire at the Vondelkerk in Amsterdam due to fireworks.

In the neighborhood where I grew up in Maastricht, it even became something of a tradition to blow up the same bus stop every year. Each year, it had to be completely replaced and repaired.

Busstop in Maastricht

And as if that weren’t enough, there is one final reason: the animals. Every year, they are terrified for the entire day by the fireworks.

New law

These reasons were sufficient for Jesse Klaver (GroenLinks–PvdA) and Esther Ouwehand (Party for the Animals) to submit a legislative proposal for a fireworks ban. The proposal received broad support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, including from parties such as VVD, CDA and D66. As a result, the ban was officially adopted into law in 2025.

The Netherlands is among the first countries to introduce a nationwide ban on consumer fireworks. A historic step, given the long-standing tradition of fireworks during New Year’s celebrations.

Behavioral science

The fireworks ban is not only a new rule, but also a shift in social norms and traditions that we have valued for many years.

From a behavioral science perspective, this creates a classic conflict. The ban helps establish a new norm, as those who still set off fireworks become the exception. At the same time, it triggers psychological reactance among a significant group of people. When individuals feel that a tradition is being taken away from them, a natural tendency toward resistance can arise, sometimes leading to the pursuit of dangerous illegal alternatives as a form of protest.

In 2026, the focus should therefore not be on stricter punishment, but on offering meaningful alternatives. We need to develop new traditions that provide the same sense of togetherness that fireworks have offered for many years. In this way, positive behavioral change emerges, as people voluntarily commit to a new, shared norm. We create our new traditions together.

What do you think?

Are you okay with the ban on fireworks?

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