Scratch bombs banned

SCRATCH BOMBS will be banned with near-immediate effect, said Stuart Young, Minister of National Security, at yesterday’s post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

But other sources said any ban may not be so straightforward.

“Today Cabinet has taken a decision to ban the importation and sale of scratch bombs, what is commonly known as scratch bombs,” Young said.

He said Cabinet has instructed him to implement the ban using the Explosives Act.

“As the public will be aware, this is something that has been called for.”

Young said incidents have occurred where children and adults have suffered injuries, sometimes serious, from scratch bombs.

Alluding to the Divali 2016 injury of Talparo grandmother Sally-Ann Cuffie, Young said, “We had an incident where irresponsible persons threw a scratch bomb into a car and the lady, in an attempt to save her grandchild, picked up the scratch bomb to throw it out of the car and it exploded in her hand and she lost some fingers.”

He said children and adults playing with scratch bombs have also been injured.

“So I’m happy to announce today Cabinet has taken a decision to ban the importation and sale of scratch bombs and the Ministry of National Security will move expeditiously to have this implemented as the law.”

Newsday asked if any fresh legislation is needed for the ban.

Young replied, “No. Under the legislation, I believe it’s the Explosives Act, the Minister of National Security can declare whether items can be imported or not.

“Also the minister has to grant licences, for example for the import of explosives for use in the oil and gas industry, the import of firearms, the import of ammunition etcetera, and fireworks and scratch bombs fall under that.”

Newsday asked if the ban will be done by gazetting.

“I need to look at the exact process. I know it is for the Minister of National Security to do. and I can’t remember. or I haven’t looked at it specifically. to see whether it is done by an order or just by an amendment to a list or schedule in the act. But you will know.”

Asked for a timeline, Young said, “Immediately. I’ll be working along with the Attorney General’s Office to ensure it is done in the shortest possible timeframe.”

Asked about any silent night – free of fireworks – this Christmas, he replied, “This is only for scratch bombs, so we’ll be faced with the noise.”

He said scratch bombs have a cost to the medical system, through injuries, and were a disturbance.

“We see it as a real nuisance. We had an incident in the last week of students throwing scratch bombs at teachers. So it is getting rid of what we see as a real nuisance item, a national nuisance item in TT.”

Head of the fireworks company Fire One Andre Abraham yesterday repeated his previous denial that his firm sells scratch bombs, which he said are illegally imported from Venezuela.

Newsday asked about the traumatically loud bangs from his firm’s Spanish Crackers.

“No, that is not a scratch bomb,” he claimed.

Abraham said his imports are all inspected by the American Firework Safety Lab, and are all labelled to show their content. He said Newsday’s call was the first he had heard of the scratch bomb ban, which he welcomed, but insisted his firecrackers were not culpable.

Two activists against fireworks misuse, Nalini Dial and Josi Ache-De Goulard, both had a different view.

Dial said, “It is not only about scratch bombs, but all loud-sounding fireworks. We want all loud fireworks banned. Fireworks as loud as scratch bombs are sold on every corner with no enforcement.”

She said people just pitch tents by the roadside and buy in bulk from Fire One to sell on.

Dial queried Young’s remarks. “Scratch bombs have been banned in this country for many years. They are already illegal, so what’s he talking about? How can he ban something that’s already banned?”

Ache-De Goulard urged that all fireworks should only be discharged in a controlled environment, and under a permit whose permit holder is liable for any misuse, such as by children.

Recalling the burning down of three houses at Mc Bean, Couva through firework misuse, she supported the scratch bomb ban, and said even lesser fireworks should also be banned. Ache-De Goulard, who collected a 3,000-signature petition a few years ago, reckoned Young’s ban had been prompted by activist Sareeta Artee Bridgelal’s recent petition garnering 15,000 signatures within a week.