I read with some trepidation Alexander Mangion's piece about fireworks in The Malta Independent (August 9, 2026). Indeed I think that his version of what constitutes fairness is a rather weak one. Mr Mangion introduces his piece by stating that "we all agree that fireworks are an intrinsic part of our summer feast," and hence of our cultural heritage. I wonder how he arrived at this conclusion.

Indeed The Malta Independent Editorial of August 8 points out that "a new generation of Maltese" may be less enthusiastic about fireworks. Similarly the TMID editorial of August 13 notes that there may be "thousands" who do not really appreciate the Maltese festa.

What I think Mr Mangion missed in his article is what constitutes fairness. He writes about enjoying one's own property in safety and piece of mind. To be honest I would like more than safety for myself and my property. I would like to enjoy my home in peace and quiet. Is that too much to ask for? Providing me with advance information about timings will not contribute to my enjoyment of my own home.

What took place in Birżebbuġia recently is a case in point. Residents who felt threatened and protested about the damage were looked upon with contempt, even by some of our politicians. Let us hope that what happened in this locality will indeed take place elsewhere. Safety and the damage to property must take priority over culture and tradition. Speaking on RTK103, Professor Renald Blundell, from the University of Malta, warned that the fireworks factory explosion at Salini on June 1 could have killed up to 5,000. The damage left by this fireworks explosion was considerable, amounting to tens of thousands of euros, with no one claiming responsibility. Is that fair?

Mr Mangion refers to "safety protocols that already exist." In an article that appeared in the Times of Malta (8 June 2026), Giulia Magri highlights the 10 fireworks factory explosions that took place over a span of 12 years, from 2010 to 2022 with some 16 fireworks enthusiasts losing their lives. This, I think, hardly reflects the safety protocols Mr Mangion refers to. What the general public often overlooks is the fact that in an area of 316 square kilometres, there are 35 fireworks factories in Malta and Gozo, one factory for every nine square kilometres.

Mr Mangion has missed a few important issues when it comes to fairness and fireworks. First and foremost, is the fact that, as already noted, fireworks might not be appreciated by all. Here one cannot fail to mention residents of old people's homes and the sick. In my home town there are four old peoples home. Do any of the fireworks enthusiasts ever think that their hobby might constitute a problem to these members of society? Another issue is the effect the fireworks has on animals. A case in point took place last year when a fireworks display literally terrified horses housed not far away from a fireworks display.

Finally, and probably most serious, is the pollution caused by this so-called cultural identity. In a paper by Dr Colette Pace, she draws attention to the elevated levels of perchlorate in soils. According to Dr Pace the only know source of perchlorate on the Maltese islands is that imported for the production of pyrotechnic article. Dr Pace further draws attention to the possible connection between perchlorate and human health, in particular thyroid disorders. In another paper published in the Malta Medical Journal (2024), Cardona et al. highlight the possible link between perchlorate and hypothyroidism.

In view of the above, I think that if we really want to talk about fairness, safety and health, we should be considering, as Dr Pace suggests, "a reduction in the intensity of firework activities, which clearly conduce to the presence of the contaminants in the environment."