Stop releasing helium balloons in memory of

[Fiis]

Plus seen weddings, gender reveals etc with this too.

Balloons do not go to heaven. They float c. 50 miles, depending on wind conditions, then pop as hit a certain height.

The balloon remains fall to earth, usually in a field. Farm animals have eaten them and reports of them dying,

If you want to remember someone, do something permanent such as planting a tree, lighting candles at home etc

I sensitively raised it with the school and was told I was being insensitive and should thank my lucky stars it wasn't my child.
I then pointed out I had two children who had died, and I do things to honour them that don't include killing wildlife.

did this really happen?

I can’t help thinking that a gender reveal is pulling your pants down in public.

Absolutely - we live in the countryside and I see them in hedges regularly (I think sometimes accidentally let go by children tbf).

Yes it really happened.

The school had organised it, I spoke to the HT about it, and she told me that I was lucky I wasn't in the mums position.

My children died long before I ever lived here so the school didn't know.

There have been many issues with the HT before and since. She's git a shitty attitude about a lot of things.

I was part of a group of mums that organised the leavers dance from my son’s primary school a couple of years ago. We said we were aware that pre covid balloon releases were common at these parties but times have moved on and we weren’t doing it for environmental reasons plus being near the airport, shortage of helium, litter, birds etc. some mums in the group didn’t say a word then on the night pitched up with the balloons and took a group of kids outside and released them. We were livid. Neighbours complained to the school and we had to answer why it had happened.

Yep and farm animals could eat a plastic bottle cap and die too... the world's full of plastic crap unfortunately. I think its highly unlikely the balloons will reach a farm.

I'm in favour of doing it if it will help someone's grief or be part of a celebration.

This is going along the same lines of "we should ban fireworks because it upsets my dog".

@TheNightSurgeon - that is such a lovely idea. I am sorry for your loss

So much stupidity in one post, where do you even start?

Anything like this should be banned. We just don't have the resources on this planet to be wasting them on this shite. And then as you point out, there are the dangers to wildlife.
In fact all helium balloons should be banned (there is absolutely no need for them), never mind balloon releases.
Yes, I sound miserable and yes balloons can look really pretty, but if they were banned people would forget about them in a few years and not miss them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c03522z5lvro.amp

https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/health-welfare/bullock-chokes-to-death-on-helium-balloon

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/farmer-calls-ban-after-stray-28767115

Incredibly selfish attitude!

Just a few instances where balloons did reach farms. There's loads more where they came from. They also reach the sea and cause the deaths of sealife like turtles, whales and dolphins.

For my Dad's funeral we gave a pack of seeds to plant in his memory , something lasting and more environmentally friendly .
My Dad didn;t even want flowers , I cannot imagine his horror if we did a balloon release .

Some posts in this thread proving again that you can't cure stupid

When I can I want to start a memorial bursary in memory of my dad. He always said that any remembrance stuff had to serve the living as it was no actual use to him once he was gone. It sounds really cold and clinical put like that but he was right, these things are for those left more than the deceased.

Nah you're just on the wind up

Agreed. I’ve heard of fireworks at gender reveals setting fire to buildings as well? Insane.

If you believe it's unlikely that they end up in fields where animals live, where exactly do you believe the majority of this shit goes? To heaven?

kill fish birds too

When someone dies in an accident, it’s a mass balloon release. Couple of teenagers died the other week, round here, rose a stolen motorbike into a car, one without any sort of crash helmet on.

Got the usual “cheeky chappy” bullshit.. and a load of balloons got released, to choke a few animals to death.

What is the point? I think it’s performative grieving … started with Princess Di, and has never really left us.

There’s a helium balloon stuck in a tree near us. It’s been there since pre Covid times and doesn’t seem to have degraded at all. I’m actually quite impressed with its tenacity, despite all of the storms we’ve had since then it’s still determinedly littering our environment.

😅😅

Thank you for explaining. Grief is overwhelming and intense. I can see how it would drive thoughts and feelings like that.

I hope your grief is easier for you to carry now.

im always seeing it on Facebook, it’s ridiculous and needs to be made illegal

It's an awful modern phenomenon. My ds died last year and I would have been horrified if anyone had done this.
Do something positive and proactive...but not send off balloons or fireworks.

You're part of the problem.

Ballons don't go to heaven, theres plenty of other ways to help grief, & there's plenty of evidence to show they DO KILL Wildlife & horses and farm animals.

Heres one such article.
www.rspca.org.uk/documents/1494935/9042554/Balloon+releases+%28V1.1%29+-+2018.pdf

@ExtraOnionsi think I know which crash you’re talking about. I seen the comments, the threats towards people who told them not to do a balloon release.

I understand they have lost relatives/friends but what a bunch of vile people. I couldn’t believe the threats they were dishing out on some of the newspaper articles