With the illegal lighting of fireworks seriously affecting public good, we may have to think about a more responsible way of celebrating the festival, says an article in The Beijing News. The following is an excerpt:

Fifteen people were killed in a fire at a club in Changle, Fujian province on Jan 31. Some young people caused the fire by lighting firecrackers on a table for a birthday party.

This calamity shows that many people are so careless about protecting their own safety and of people around them. The lighting of fireworks during Spring Festival is another case in point.

Many years ago, heated debates revolved around whether the fireworks lighting should be banned. It's a great step by the government to lift the ban on lighting firecrackers and allow people to do so within limits. A balance has been struck between the government regulation and the freedom of the people, but the safety problem has not yet been solved because of the "limited" lighting of fireworks.

Take Beijing for example. People are only allowed to light firecrackers during the daytime from the second day to the fifteenth day of the lunar new year. But the noisy sounds of fireworks could be heard all night in some parts of Beijing, which seriously affect the elderly people, the sick in hospitals and babies.

During the six days of Spring Festival, 403 people were wounded and 103 fires were set off by firecrackers in Beijing alone. It greatly increased the management costs - 1.75 million staff were on related duty and the police also had to step up their patrol and punish illegal lighting of firecrackers.

Residents should shoulder their responsibilities while enjoying freedom in lighting firecrackers. It's urgent for us to find a more responsible way to show respect for others' lives and interests while enjoying our own freedom.

(China Daily February 3, 2009)