Balloon releases are key to Philadelphia’s grieving process. What happens if state lawmakers ban them?

Hundreds of brightly colored balloons rising toward the clouds may be a pretty sight, but for Pastor Aaron Campbell, they almost always represent another Philadelphia tragedy.

As founder of the youth anti-violence nonprofit Level Up, Campbell has organized more balloon release memorials for those who have lost their lives to gun violence than he would like to recount.

“We have a culture of losing our teen babies to murder,” Campbell said. “The balloon release is a countercultural symbol of hope, a symbol of healing.”

What would happen if this tradition was made illegal?

That’s the question on Campbell’s mind as state lawmakers aim to debate legislation that would ban balloon releases, citing harmful effects to the environment and complaints from constituents over balloons drifting into trees, creeks, and other natural spaces.

Should the legislation pass, Pennsylvania would join a handful of states that have banned the releases over similar environmental concerns. Representatives in Harrisburg proposed a balloon release ban in 2023, though the bill never made it to a final vote.

Lawmakers now believe the time is right for another try, saying that protecting Pennsylvania’s environment is a concern that should rally both Democrats and Republicans — from residents of crowded suburbs, where natural lands are vulnerable, to rural hunters keen on safeguarding the state’s abundant wilds.

“The environment is one of the top issues in my community,” said State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, a Democrat whose district covers much of the Main Line as well as Norristown and King of Prussia. “Fairly often, these big releases of balloons end up in our streets, our forests.”

Cappelletti announced last month that she intends to introduce a bill to ban balloon releases in the near future.

In a March 24 memo to her colleagues, Cappelletti cited risks to public health and the environment when latex balloons travel long distances and end up in a variety of ecosystems, becoming “hazardous litter.”

“Balloons can take years to decompose and frequently pose dangers to wildlife, which may mistake them for food, leading to ingestion, entanglement, and often death,” Cappelletti wrote. “Additionally, balloon debris can contribute to environmental pollution, negatively impacting our natural resources.”

Only intentional balloon releases would be banned, according to Cappelletti, and releases for scientific and meteorological purposes would not be restricted. The memo made no mention of a penalty for doing so, but other states have proposed fines of $250.

Balloons are released for all types of events, from weddings to birthday parties, and the memo does not single out memorial services or any one offender.

Cappelletti said inspiration for the bill came after a constituent complained over balloons and the environment. The lawmaker herself said she once found a balloon entangled in a tree outside her house.

Barry Leffler is angling to become the voice of those frustrations.

The York County resident is behind a Change.org petition seeking a ban of intentional balloon releases in Pennsylvania that has garnered more than 120 signatures.

“We fish all the time — we have a boat on the Susquehanna River — and every time we go out, there’s a good chance we’re finding a balloon on the water,” Leffler said. “It’s littering, polluting.”

Leffler, a 52-year-old tattoo artist, has no formal experience as an environmental advocate. But when he saw an article on Facebook about another state enacting a balloon-release ban, he kicked off the petition and circulated it among friends and family.

“Almost everyone” agreed with the idea, Leffler said.

Environmentalists have long supported a balloon release ban in Pennsylvania.

“Walk around Philly’s tons of parks, you can see a balloon from a birthday, another celebration,” said Faran Savitz, the zero waste advocate with the environmental conservation nonprofit PennEnvironment.

It is illegal to intentionally release balloons in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia. Savitz believes Pennsylvania still has time to be on the “cutting edge” of the conversation before it spreads nationwide.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg have floated ideas for similar bans in the past without success, according to Savitz. That includes the proposed 2023 bill, which never made it past a referral to the House Game and Fisheries Committee, government records show.

Though it is liberal lawmakers who are often associated with vanguard environmental regulations, Savitz believes that balloon bans are ultimately a bipartisan issue, benefiting members of rural, conservative-leaning communities where hunting and fishing thrive.

But a question mark remains for members of urban neighborhoods like those in Philadelphia, where gun violence is most prevalent and balloon releases can signal a painful remembrance of life lost, not celebration.

Campbell says balloon releases are more common in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods than anyone would prefer.

Memorials organized by Level Up have gathered hundreds in local parks, and are often the most accessible, inexpensive ways for communities to mourn, according to the pastor.

He sees balloon releases as a safe space where the city’s youth come together to learn the valuable skill of grieving.

“It’s sad that I’ve become an expert at it,” Campbell said.

Balloon releases also create a space for young people to reconcile with the conflicts that led to the violence in the first place, according to Campbell. The pastor goes as far as crediting some balloon releases for reducing retaliatory murders.

Lawmakers are aware that a balloon release ban would affect memorials, and are hopeful that mourners would embrace alternatives.

“There are any number of incredible ways to memorialize individuals that we have loved and lost in this life,” Cappelletti said. “Hopefully we can find ways that are less impactful on our environment to do that.”

Over the years, as Campbell posts videos of balloon releases to social media, the pastor has encountered the occasional commenter who chastises the practice for environmental reasons.

Campbell understands the sentiment. Still, he wishes for a more nuanced conversation about an “unspeakably complex” issue.

“If that bill is passed, you have to pivot,” the pastor said. “But you will be removing a healing space.”