Balloon Launches Leave Behind 18,000 Pieces of Litter in Great Lakes [VIDEO]

You may want to think twice before you launch a balloon. A new report indicates 18,000 pieces of balloons have been found in the Great Lakes. That includes balloons, balloon pieces, and string.

I am guilty of launching balloons. The first time I did was in elementary school. My teacher had us attach a piece of paper with our name and school address. The hope was someone would find your balloon and write you back. I never got a note back.

The only other time I remember launching a balloon when was when my dad died. Sure, on accident I have had a balloon that was an outdoor decoration, get away from me and rise to the sky. I never thought much about it - until now.

I never even thought about the fact that the strings could get caught around an animal, until I read about this balloon littering epidemic in the Detroit Free Press. All of this makes total sense - the balloon goes up, eventually comes down as litter.

It turns out five states have balloon release regulations - California, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. I would support guidelines in Michigan, would you?