If you’re thinking of purchasing some balloons, you’ll have to avoid doing so in Laguna Beach, California. Amid climate change concerns, the area has now banned the sale and public use of balloons. No more setting them free into the air to blow away for miles and miles.
Party-goers in the beach city could face fines of up to $500 for using balloons at city events or on public property starting in 2024. This move comes as a response to the ongoing increase of pollution that balloons can cause to the ocean and the surrounding wildlife. Pieces of the rubber or plastic will often fall into the water where birds and other animals mistake them for food.
Balloons can also carry a risk to humans. Mylar balloons can get caught in power lines, leading to power outages and fires. Latex balloons can take decades to decompose, leading pieces to “stick around truly until the end of time,” according to Kara Wiggin, a researcher at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Other seaside communities across the United States have also taken similar measures to ban the sale of balloons. Places like Manhattan Beach, California; Nantucket, Massaschusetts; Solana Beach, California; and East Hampton, New York, have put a stop to the use of balloons in public.
Luckily, those still wanting to use balloons in private settings can still do so but business owners caught breaking the new rule could face serious fines and potentially lose their business licenses.