Fireworks and Explosives Sales to Be Prohibited

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia has drafted a bill that will prohibit the sale of fireworks henceforth. Anna Mkrtumyan, head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Health, shared this information in an interview with Sputnik Armenia.

The ministry plans to amend the law on 'State Regulation of Technical Safety'. According to her, fireworks refer to all explosives that have a fuse and a special ignition substance at the tip. If any store sells fireworks after the adoption of the law, they will be liable to pay a fine equivalent to one-and-a-half times the minimum wage.

Furthermore, as Mkrtumyan stated, technical and special-purpose fireworks will be conducted based on orders from state and local self-government bodies. The expert noted that only household fireworks, which do not require special knowledge to handle, will be freely sold. In simple terms, these types do not 'have the potential to explode in hand'.

The draft law developed by the Ministry of Health is currently open for public discussion. It has also been sent to the relevant authorities for feedback. It is planned that the law will be adopted by the end of 2020.

It should be noted that during the festive period from December 31 to January 7, 95 individuals, including 40 minors, suffered injuries from explosives and fireworks and sought medical assistance in the country's medical centers.