To think ''Chinese Lanterns'' should be banned?

[ThatGingerOne]

Seen several posts now of horses being horrifically injured from the lanterns landing on them. Other stories of course about them starting fires too. Does anyone else agree they're too dangerous to be used?

Bubbles sound like a much better idea.

In regards to helium balloons, few people realise that helium is a limited resource.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2012/mar/18/helium-party-balloons-squandered

Hate the fucking things.

Also balloon releases, but I have had my arse handed to me on a plate on here regarding balloons and the bereaved.

I hate both the lanterns and people letting balloons go. A friend of mine lost a very good broodmare because of a lantern. (Horse stepped on the wire and it caused a massive infection to the bony structures in the hoof.) Also had one come down on my car- luckily the flame had gone out!

I refuse to make helium balloons at work because I think it's a huge waste.

I also hate the lanterns and balloons, have done for very many years. Even if the flame of the lantern quickly extinguishes, the debris is still littering the country and causing harm to wildlife. Equally balloons - they are made from a material which does not easily decompose, so they dangle about in trees and hedgerows or sit in the landscape, in all their rubbery glory, causing havoc to both farm and wild animals.

Regarding the balloons - yeah, most of us have been bereaved. I've lost many friends and family members, have never felt the need to set off a balloon in their memories. My fond memories of loved ones are in my head and heart, I do not feel the need to be a grief-peddler. Most people who set off these things are just saying to everyone else "Look at me, look at meeeee - I'm so sad/happy and I want everyone to know it and join in". Just fuck off with it, arseholes.

Chinese lanterns, balloons and bloody fireworks, unless it's an official display.

I thought they were banned actually after the fire at the tyre place in Birmingham a few years ago. It burned for days, caused loads of pollution and I think some firefighters even lost their lives? Needless.

Another vote to ban balloon releases, chinese lanterns and fireworks. They are a hazard.
Balloon releases are a new thing. theres no need for people to get butthurt about being critisised for doing it. They harm wildlife, and as another poster said, helium is now a very rare resource. Its needed for deep sea divers, they should get priority.

Was that lanterns, Bertie?

No, sorry, they were just injured, not killed, but still, that's bad enough. Horrendous. You could see the smoke for miles and miles. (Jesse's link).

Yes it was found to be caused by a lantern. One fell onto the tyres - I think it was a recycling plant? I can't remember - and because they were so flammable they all went up releasing toxic smoke, and the fire was too ferocious to extinguish so they just had to wait until it burned out, basically, which took days.

Jesse's link talks about the fire.

YANBU ban them and balloon releases. I think balloons might be much harder to ban because children buy them with the intention of keeping them (even though they still lose them to the wind). With Chinese lanterns, they are bought with the sole intention of letting them go. You would think existing laws against littering would cover them already.

If anyone knows of a petition, I'll happily sign it, both against Chinese lanterns and balloon releases.

I hate lanterns and balloon releases. It's littering and it's dangerous, not to mention incredibly naff.

A few years ago DH and I were walking past a yacht club when the wedding party celebrating there had gathered on the pavement outside to release lanterns, except they weren't giving the lanterns long enough to heat up before letting go so they were all coming straight back down into the busy road in the path of cars. If I was one of the drivers I would have been fucking livid. They were honking their horns while trying to avoid the lanterns and the bride and groom just stood smiling and waving, presumably thinking the drivers were honking to congratulate them . This yacht club was also near to a busy harbour and across the road from a small military base. Stupid stupid stupid.

I would be mortified if I thought something I had done to commemorate the life of my child resulted in an animal being injured, and so I wouldn't release a helium balloon. They can travel many miles, litter the environment, and if animals get caught in the ribbon, or swallow it can be fatal. If it falls over the coast, then birds and marine life can be injured, not to mention the pollution of the sea.

I've just found a relevant petition, not many signatures yet but the ones I can see hours old (maybe some of the rest of you went on the same quest?)

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/petition-to-ban-chinese-lanterns-in-the-uk

Yes absolutkry agree.

Hate them. And I don't understand the thought process of someone who releases them without a second thought. Is there no part of their brain that says 'maybe letting this floating fire go wherever it wants is a bad idea'?

I think people just don't think and that's why a campaign might help them realise the dangers.

They are terrible things and they shoud be banned. Have signed the petition.

should*

I was once flamed here on mums net when I complained about lanterns and balloons. My bf dh is a vet and he spends a lot of time rescuing animals from these things.

But I was flamed as I just don't 'get' the bereaved reasons for letting them off. I've had 3 m/c, I don't feel that letting off a balloon will make much difference.

These things cause untold damage to animals and the environment. Please don't do it!

That tyre fire was caused by a lantern?

Is there no part of their brain that says 'maybe letting this floating fire go wherever it wants is a bad idea'?

Well exactly. That's why I presumed there must be more to them than I realised because I couldn't imagine that something so obviously dangerous would be so popular and easily available.

I didn't like them for litter reasons anyway.

Although they are gorgeous. I'm kind of sad they are so dangerous.

Totally agree and will be signing that petition - thanks CatchIt for the link.

There are many lovely ways of marking a celebration or a bereavement that don't litter and cause damage to property and livestock. I hope it is only ignorance that means people continue to release lanterns and balloons, in which case anything that highlights their damaging effects can only be a good thing.

I was on that thread weegiemum - and so was Exit. It was pretty unpleasant.

I live by the sea and am very pleased to read today that our local council has banned balloon releases and chinese lanterns

That is good news!