Children are to be banned from traditional Xmas games according to new EU safety rules

[Jello Biafra]

"Children are to be banned from taking part in traditional Christmas games, from blowing up balloons to blowing on party whistles, because of new EU safety rules that have just entered into force..."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8816601/Children-to-be-banned-from-blowing-up-balloons-under-EU-safety-rules.html

What's this world coming to....

[virgogal]

1. I saw a near choking death from a balloon in the early 60's.A quick

thinking nurse was nearby (It was a parade) and was able to scrape out the piece of balloon that was blocking the little boy's windpipe.

I have hated balloons since that time.

[d_r]

4. balloons are terrible

If they get back in their throat there is no way to get them out

[tblue37]

5. Animals and children can easily inhale a piece of a balloon

if they bite it and it pops. It can be deadly!

[JBoy]

2. From now on, we won't let you join in any reindeer games

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. Pfft

Trust the Torygraph to misread something and have a go at the EU all at the same time. I can't find any reference to this at all anywhere outside of the right-wing UK press. The Daily Mail and the Express also have the same story; no-one without a right-wing, anti-EU political axe to grind has anything. And looking online at the EU Toy Safety Directive doesn't reveal anything at all about banning children from blowing up balloons. See here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:170:0001:0037:en:PDF