The latest American city to ban balloon releases is Long Beach, with a unanimously-approved motion which was passed by the city council on Tuesday 15 April, 2019.
Based in Southern California, Long Beach sits on the Pacific Ocean and anyone caught intentionally releasing balloons in the oceanfront community will face a fine up to $250.
City officials say the move is to: ‘cut down on litter, preserve the beach and protect wildlife that could ingest released balloons’.
City Council vice president Chumi Diamond said the legislation would add to other environmentally friendly measures taken by the city, including enacting a five cent plastic and paper bag fee that came into effect in 2017.
