"July 4th is behind us but we're still hearing them go off in many of our neighborhoods," said Mayor Marty Walsh.
"It's a fire hazard and a very dangerous safety risk, and now we have an 11-year-old little boy in the hospital with serious injuries to his hands and to his body -- a situation that was entirely preventable."
ADVANCING EQUITY AND THE QUALITYOF LIFE IN OUR CITY ANDTHROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.I JUST WANT T END -- I TALKED ALOT ABOUT THE HEALH AND QUALITYOF LIFE TODAY, SO I WANT TOCLOSE WITH AN ONGOING CONCERN INOUR CITY, AND THAT IS FIREWORKS.I HAVE BEEN TALKING NOW FOR THELAST MONTH UP HERE AT THISPODIUM ABOUT THE DANGER OFFIREWORKS.JULY 4 IS BEHIND US, BUT WE ARESTILL HEARING THEN GO OFF INMANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.THEY CONTINUE TO BE A SAFETY ANDNEIGHBORHOOD.AND AS WE HAVE HEARD, AND I HAVESAID, THIS IS CAUSING TRAUMA,STRESS, AND SLEEPLESSNESS.IT IS A FIRE HAZARD AND A VERYDANGEROUS SAFETY RISK.AND NOW WE HAVE AN 11-YEAR-OLDLITTLE BOY IN THE HOSPITAL WITHSERIOUS INJURIES TO HIS HANDSAND TO HIS BODY, A SITUATIONTHAT WAS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE.YESTERDAY, I SPOKE TO THE YOUNGBOY’S MOM, AND WHAT SHE SAID TOME, SHE STARTED CRYING, AND SHESAID, "I JUST NEED YOU TO TELLPEOPLE HOW DANGEROUS THIS IS."AND I TOLD HER I HAD A PRESSCONFERENCE TODAY, AND SHE SAID"WE YOU PLEASE TALK ABOUT THAT?"BECAUSE SHE IS CRYING ABOUT HERBOY THAT IS LAYING IN AHOSPITALTHIS YOUNG MAN IS POTENTIALLYGOING TO HAVE PERMANENT PHYSICALDAMAGE.HE WILL HAVE PERMANENT PHYSICALDAMAGE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA.I HEARD T PAIN IN THIS WOMAN’SVOICE YESTERDAY, AND I HOPE THATPEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THEFRUSTRATION THAT I HAVE AND THEFEAR THAT I HAVE OF WHATFIREWORKS CAN DO TO THE YOUNGPEOPLE IN OUR CITY.WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS.IT IS TIME TO STOP.WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER CRISIS TODEAL WITH THIS.WE CREATED A TASK FORCE ON WAYSTO ADDRESS THIS, AND I WANT TOTHANK THE MEMBERS OF THE TASKFORCE, BUT -- AND THEY BEGANMEETING AND REACHING OUT TO THECOMMUNITY.AND THEY COME UP WITH SOME IDEASON WHAT WE SHOULD DO ON HOW TOSTOP THE FIREWORKS.IT IS AT HOME BUT UPON ALL OF USAS RESIDENTS IN THE CITY TO LETTHE PEOPLE KNOW IN THENEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE FIGHTINGTHE -- FIRING THE FIREWORKS OFF,TELL THEM TO STOP.FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL INMASSACHUSETTS.THEY CANNOT BE CARRIED OVERSTATELINE.FOR PEOPLE OUT THERE WATCHING,IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS BUYINGTHEM OR SELLING FIREWORKS, THEYARE ILLEGAL.YOU CAN ANONYMOUSLY CALL THECRIME STOPPERS HOTLINE AT1-800-494-TIPS.OR YOU CAN TEXT THE WORD "TIPS"TO 27463.YOU MIGHT THINK THAT, WHEN YOUCALL IN, NOTHING