Florida Bans Release of Balloons, Citing Harm to Wildlife

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Climate|Up, Up and Not OK: Letting Go of Balloons Could Soon Be Illegal in Florida https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/climate/florida-balloons-outdoors-ban.html U.S. World Business Arts Lifestyle Opinion Audio Games Cooking Wirecutter * The Athletic Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access.
Aquatic animals often mistake balloons for jellyfish and feel full after eating them, essentially starving from the inside out, and their ribbons can entangle turtles and manatees.
The practice is on the verge of becoming illegal in Florida, where the legislature has joined a growing number of states to ban the intentional release of balloons outdoors.
Florida is at the forefront of a dizzying and contentious array of statewide bans, outlawing lab grown meat, certain books from school libraries and classrooms, and most abortions after six weeks.