Safe use of fireworks urged on New Year Eve

Helsinki Police Department is maintaining public order and safety in Helsinki visibly on New Year’s Eve with particular attention to the safe use of fireworks, said Police in a press release.

The police are maintaining public order and safety in Helsinki city centre on 31 December 2022 and 1 January 2023.

The police will pay attention to people’s handling of fireworks and, if necessary, intervene.

Earlier, the Helsinki Rescue Department has restricted the use of fireworks in the City of Helsinki. In general, lighting fireworks is allowed from 6:00 p.m. on 31 December until 2 a.m. on January 1.

The police remind everyone to use fireworks responsibly and urged the parents to not allow minors to use fireworks.

Police also warned that an adult is always responsible for children´s fireworks.

Any fireworks and explosives possessed by minors will always be confiscated. It is now mandatory to use safety goggles when lighting fireworks.

Meanwhile, majority of the big cities including Helsinki are not organising the traditional New Year’s Eve celebration with fireworks, according to a Finnish news consortium Uutissuomalainen.

Uutissuomalainen communicated with 20 city corporations and only seven of the cities will organise the official fireworks this year.

The cities pointed out environmental issue, avoiding noise and austerity as reasons behind refraining from welcoming the new year through the fireworks.

The cities refraining from traditional fireworks are Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Oulu, Kuopio, Lahti, Pori, Kouvola, Hämeenlinna, Vaasa, Porvoo and Salo.

The cities will host the fireworks are Turku, Jyväskylä, Joensuu, Lappeenranta, Seinäjoki, Rovaniemi and Mikkeli.