I appreciate the concern of Ellen Benehan and others over the possible dangers of air balloon crafts releases. What she and others fail to realize is that it is not balloon releases that cause harm, it is irresponsible balloon releases.

To begin with there is no documented evidence that ingestion of deflated latex balloons causes any harm whatsoever to wildlife. There are only two documented instances in which balloons have been implicated in the death of an animal.

One instance involves a deflated mylar (not latex) balloon with 3 feet of ribbon attached that was found in the stomach of a sperm whale stranded off the New Jersey coast. The cause of death was listed as starvation, and the whale also suffered from pneumonia and had been stalked by sharks.

In another instance, a single latex balloon with string attached was found in the stomach of a leatherback turtle that also had been struck and injured by a motor boat, which may have been the cause of death.

These are the only documented instances of possible harm to wildlife by balloons, and they are by no means conclusive. The same individual who did the studies on these two animal deaths also reported that while studying a group of turtles, a number of ingested latex balloons were safely passed by the turtles. This was also the finding of a study done at the University of Miami.

It is important to note that in both of the above cases, long strings or ribbons were attached to the balloons in question. One should also note that these two incidents also comprise the entire case against balloon releases.

Considering the fact that hundreds of millions of balloons are released each year, this cannot be viewed as a serious threat. Consider also that the average flying time of a 9-inch balloon inflated with 100 percent helium is six to 10 hours. With a tailwind of 20 mph, any balloon released more than 200 miles from the ocean still will not reach the ocean.

The risk to wildlife and the environment can be minimized by hiring a professional. The National Association of Balloon Artists, an organization with several thousand members worldwide who are well aware of the balloon release controversy, has clear guidelines on how to release balloons.

If I do use string I use only cotton cord, which decays naturally, and only very short lengths -- shorter than 2 feet is generally considered safe. I will not release balloons that are tied together. Any balloon that has deflated to the point where it is small enough to swallow is also small enough to pass harmlessly through the digestive system.