Are Water Balloon Fights Illegal In New York State?
As the weather starts warming up and you are looking for a fun way to cool down, just be careful of how you decide to cool down.
Growing up with two older brothers one of my favorite ways to cool down was to have squirt gun fights and throw water balloons at each other. Getting splashed with ice-cold water was a real treat on those hot, humid, summer days.
While you can still squirt your friends and family with water, you might want to leave the balloons at home. A new law that went into effect this year in New York bans the release of balloons with exceptions for manned hot air balloons, government-related experiments, and balloons released indoors.
Most people will read that and think the law is only for releasing balloons filled with helium. The point of the law is to keep the balloon plastic from area wildlife and from entering storm drains and other water runoffs that could damage waterlines or hurt wild animals.
So what happens when you toss a water balloon and it pops splashing water over someone? The plastic of the balloon is sent all over the ground. These little pieces of plastic could enter the waterways and could be pickup and swallowed by the wildlife which could hurt them.
So while the law calls for the banning of releasing balloons you could say when you throw a water balloon it is like releasing a balloon that floats up into the sky.
So what are the chances you could get fined or sentenced to up to 15 days in jail? Slim to None, but depending on what kind of mood the police officer is in, you could get fined for throwing water balloons this summer.
You are better off sticking with the hose and spraying down your friends instead.
