Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 11:29:43 -0500
From: D Jay the Clown <djaytheclown@home.com>
To: balloon@balloonhq.com
Subject: Swallowing Balloon Swords

I've posted this before and will continue posting it until I get people
to understand. If you're performing only for adults, it's a great trick.
If you are planning on performing this in front of children PLEASE
DON'T. Children will often try and imitate what you do and without
knowing the secret of how to do the trick, they may actually put the
balloon in their mouth and choke.  One of the first things that we learn
as balloon artists is to tell children not to put balloons in their
mouth because of the dangers. If they see you putting a balloon in your
mouth, what kind of signal are you sending? What are they to believe,
the danger warning or their own eyes that you put it in your mouth and
nothing happened. As far as the powder inside the balloons, I've been
told (whether it's true or not, I don't know, but it sounds logical)
that the inhaling too much powder could eventually lead to health
hazards. If you are mouth blowing (which I used to do, but don't anymore
since I fell in love with my pumpo) as you take your big breath in do
not have the balloon between your lips as you will be inhaling powder as
well. 

Dave "D Jay the Clown" Lew