Woman releasing balloons – Photo: Song_about_summer/Shutterstock.com
Florida may soon impose fines for willfully launching a balloon into the sky if the state is successful in tightening its regulations around littering.
It’s a component of a larger initiative that includes legislation in at least eight other states to safeguard wildlife, birds, dolphins, and turtles from ingesting or getting trapped in dropped balloons.
It’s against the law in Florida right now to release more than ten balloons in a 24-hour period. The deliberate release of balloons outside is prohibited by the new rule, which imposes fines of up to $150 for littering. Six-year-olds and under are exempt.
The bill has made it through the state legislature and is currently sitting on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‘ desk. Should he sign it, it will become operative on July 1.
Additionally, states like Arizona, California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia have restricted balloon releases outside.
Even while they can be extremely joyful when on the ground, balloons—particularly helium-filled ones that can travel great distances—have a history of maiming and killing animals. Experts advise them to remain indoors, where they cannot endanger animals.
Balloons are mistaken for food by many animals. The balloon cannot be broken down, so eating them will not allow the animal to absorb any nutrients. However, they can fill the animal’s stomach. When that occurs, they may slowly die from starvation while having a stomach full of mylar or latex.
Balloons have the ability to float on the surface of lakes and the ocean, enticing animals that are looking for food. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that sea turtles are particularly vulnerable because they occasionally confuse balloons for jellyfish when they surface to breathe and feed.
Additionally, the strings attached to balloons have the potential to coil around birds, suffocating them or imprisoning them until their hunger kills them.
Even though certain balloons are advertised as biodegradable, the University of Michigan reports that they can take years for them to decompose, endangering wildlife.
Additionally capable of floating onto electricity wires, metallic mylar balloons annually cause hundreds of power disruptions.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
