system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Fireworks are harmful in many ways and we should stop using them. We only use them in the first place, because of tradition.

I think many people are aware of the downsides of fireworks:

* They pollute the air
* They end up as trash in the streets
* They are very loud (which can cause harm to animals or simply be annoying)
* Some are dangerous and can cause injuries

The upsides are that they look pretty and are sometimes fun to use. I don't think that these are sufficient reasons to justify using fireworks. Maybe someone can suggest other positive effects that they have. I just don't see them yet.

I think one of the reasons why we still use fireworks and why even some usually environmentally mindful people still use them is that we have established a kind of tradition where it is expected that we use fireworks on certain occasions. At least in the west (where I am from) we usually use fireworks on New Year. In the US they use fireworks on the 4th of July (I think). These are occasions where people want to use fireworks, because they like the experience, because they want to show off in front of their neighbours, or in front of their kids, or because they are simply used to doing this from their own childhood. I can understand where this feeling, this expectation is coming from, but looking at it objectively, the downsides seem to outweigh the upsides (at least the ones that occurred to me).

Imagine if tomorrow we started a new tradition. Imagine if tomorrow every household poured several litres of colourful oil into the ocean to celebrate the New Year, or a different occasion. I am sure that it would look quite pretty. And I am sure that many people would be outraged. The main difference seems to be that pouring colourful oil into the ocean is not yet a tradition. Here, people can easily realize the environmental damage that would be done, let alone if someone where to suggest turning it into a yearly tradition. But when it comes to fireworks, people seem to turn a blind eye to a tradition we arbitrarily ended up with and that - at least in my opinion - is worse than the oil.

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So, do you think that there is something to be said in favour of fireworks that I have forgotten? Or do you think that I am misunderstanding people's reasons for continuing to use fireworks? Let me know and CMV.

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Edit: To clarify, I do not necessarily advocate for a simple ban on fireworks. I am aware that this might not solve the problem, as people can find ways to avoid a ban. Rather, one might find ways to convince people that fireworks cause harm and thus willingly refrain from using them.
gpt
Saying that it's "just a tradition" is wildly downplaying the role tradition has. Traditions create social cohesion, shared experiences, a sense of belonging, enjoyment, and many other things. They help bind together societies and cultures. Plenty of conversation, especially with new people, centers around things you have in common: tv shows you watched, books you had to read in school, and yes, holiday traditions. 

To address your points specifically:
-Fireworks are pretty mild air pollutants. They're just not that big, and the atmosphere is. They're smelly, but that's mostly because of the sulfur, which your nose is very sensitive to. They're not making the air appreciably dirtier, at least not by the next day. 
- Yup, they do end up as trash. This could be addressed more specifically without a total ban though. PSAs about cleaning up would help. As would some restrictions on what fireworks can be made from. They're mostly wood and cardboard anyway, so as far as litter goes, they're not too bad because they break down. And again, fireworks aren't that large and there's not that many of them. In the grand scheme of things, they're a pretty small amount of trash. It's just more noticeable because it all happens around one or two times of the year. 
- Yes they are loud, no argument there. Dogs sure as hell don't like them. They're typically only used a handful of days out of the year, so it's hard to say how much of an issue this is. 
- they can definitely be dangerous (as with plenty of other things in common use). Unlike other things people do for fun, like say, pleasure driving, fireworks usually only injure their users (the big exception being the risk for wildfires). People's right to take on personal risk is much greater than their right to subject others to risk. But again, education and awareness. Most injuries are caused by misuse.