A proposal to severely limit the use and sale of all balloons in the beachfront city of Laguna Beach is up for a vote by the city council next Tuesday. The council approved the measure unanimously in a preliminary vote last month.
What do people have against balloons?
The idea for a ban was begun by an ocean conservation activist and is supported by several environmental groups.
In part, that people who buy them are bad at cleaning them up. Advocates say balloons affect electrical lines and harm wildlife and the environment. The Laguna Beach City Council is poised to ban sales of all balloons in the beachfront city and prohibit their use in public places like parks, beaches, and sidewalks.
Like strings and confetti. According to Surfrider, the ocean conservation group, party decorations “pose multiple threats to the beach environment, animals, and sea life and humans. This plastic pollution from improperly released or disposed of balloons indirectly impacts the City’s economy when it becomes beach litter.”
The impact
The Laguna Beach City Council is scheduled to take up the issue and its details at its Feb. 21 meeting. The council considered three versions of the ban last month.
There was agreement that balloon use would be allowed in private and commercial spaces but sales of latex, mylar, and all types of balloons would be forbidden and their use on public property, such as parks, beaches, and streets would be banned. Violators could be fined up to $500.
If approved, the law could go into effect in November of this year.
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