With the July 4th holiday approaching, there have been many questions on legal and illegal fireworks, according to a release from the Bethlehem Police Department written to clarify which fireworks are legal, and which are not.

Due to recent changes by the legislature, the New York State Penal Law now allows for the sale and use of a specific category of consumer fireworks known as sparkling devices.

Sparkling devices are ground-based or handheld devices that produce a shower of colored sparks and or a colored flame, audible crackling or whistling noise, and smoke. The law limits the type, size, and construction of sparkling devices and requires that these devices must be hand held or mounted on a base or spike and be limited in sizes that range from 1 to 500 grams of pyrotechnic composition.

These fireworks are legal:

— Sparkling fountains (cylindrical and cone);

— Sparklers on wooden sticks, but not metal;

— Smoking devices;

— Snakes;

— Confetti-filled party poppers; and

— Paper-wrapped snappers.

Bottle rockets and other fireworks that fly are not legal, such as:

— Firecrackers;

— Bottle rockets;

— Roman candles;

— Spinners; and

— Other aerial devices.

Further details on fireworks can be found at the following link: http://www.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/news/sparklingdevices.cfm.