Is it bad to release helium balloons?

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Helium balloons are an easy and inexpensive way to make someone smile, but when balloons escape human hands and make their way into the sky they become a part of something much larger than a city. They become part of a global problem.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serve has dedicated an entire page of its website to this subject, and there are reasons why the U.S. Government has become so serious about ending balloon releases.

Have you ever wondered why we're told we should not release helium balloons? Because here's the answer to that question:

• Balloons can choke many kinds of animals, such as birds and turtles, who think the latex and/or mylar materials are a food source. These creatures can choke on balloons that drift into their ecosystems.
• Animals can get tangled up in balloon strings. It can hurt their hand, their wings, and their feet, and they can choke on strings if they try to swallow them.
• Sea turtles are prone to eating balloons that float upon the surface of the ocean.
• Helium balloons become a deadly form of litter.

Is the death of a creature you've never seen worth a few minutes of fun you have while watching balloons drift out of sight?

Share this article if you'd like to spread wisdom and stop the negative consequences of balloon releases.