ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Risky Business

There now are only six Orange County cities that allow the use and sale of fireworks, and if voters make the right choice Nov. 6, the number could be down to three. It should be zero.

On Measure L in Orange and Measure Z in Fullerton, voters can ban fireworks directly by voting yes. They should.

In Costa Mesa, the ballot issue is advisory, and the wording is confusing. Measure W asks residents if the city should continue to allow the sale and discharge of “safety” approved fireworks by “nonprofit organizations within the city.”

Fireworks, even the so-called state-designated “safe and sane” ones, are anything but safe. Last year, 85% of fireworks-related injuries in Orange County occurred in the cities that still allowed them. Historically, cities where all fireworks have been banned have significantly fewer fireworks-caused injuries and fires.

The other part of Costa Mesa’s loaded ballot question is equally misleading. The fact that some community groups sell fireworks strictly to bring in extra money doesn’t make them any safer. Youngsters are the main victims of fireworks injuries, whatever the legitimate fund-raising motives of youth groups. Vote no on Measure W.

Outlawing fireworks in all cities, except for public displays, makes it easier to enforce existing bans. We hope efforts to do that will ignite similar moves in Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Buena Park. Finally, fireworks sales would be illegal countywide.