HSBC Radio Ad promotes helium abuse

Parent Cafe
1

<p>On Saturday April 28, approx 2 pm on WCBS FM in New York I heard a commercial for HSBC Mastercard that is promoting substance abuse – ie. helium inhalation. It’s about getting everything needed for a birthday party, including helium balloons, and just needing one mastercard for the entire order. It ends (paraphrased) with the narrator speaking in a helium-voice about a little something to help mommy through the birthday party, priceless.</p>

<p>This is so NOT-OK. I was absolutely horrified. HSBC was banned from using this theme in radio advertising in Britain but apparently the advertising manager on this side of the pond didn’t get the memo. </p>

<p>I am so upset about this that I will be writing the newspapers and blogs to spread the word that HSBC is promoting potentially deadly substance abuse as a cute advert trick. </p>

<p>I have written to WCBS FM and requested that this ad be pulled immediately and that they run some PSAs on substance abuse and helium abuse in particular.</p>

<p>If you agree with me – raise your voice.</p>

2

<p>I’ve certainly heard of using helium to make a funny voice, but never realized it was a substance abuse issue. Can you explain more about this?</p>

3

<p>Just google it. I would be glad to link but I have been up since 5am on minimal sleep at a dog show. It’s one of those inhalation abuses – I was checking my memory on the dangers of helium and when I googled helium inhalation I came up with a lot of sites, including deaths.</p>

4

<p>there have been cases of people taking the helium straight from the tank (under high pressure) and literally blowing out their lungs. It happened to a McDonald’s employee in MA several years ago.</p>

<p>Now , taking helium from balloons, I believe is a contamination issue. Pure helium is chemically inert.</p>

5

<p>This is a recent story
[Teen</a> dies after inhaling helium at party | Fox News](<a href=“http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/23/teen-dies-after-inhaling-helium-at-party/]Teen”>Teen dies after inhaling helium at party | Fox News)</p>

6

<p>Yes, helium is inert and should not not cause any harm other than asphyxiation, so at first I thought, “Wait - what addiction?” I can only speculate that asphyxiation caused by inhaling helium can lead to lead to abuse/addiction (akin to choking games?). Definitely it is not a laughing matter - suffocation from helium inalation is a known suicide method, although a ballon or two will not kill a person. Terrible choice for a commercial and more than just poor taste, I agree!</p>

7

<p>Emeraldkitty’s story backs up my initial assertion, since the girl in the news story who died inhaled directly from a tank.</p>

<p>I would think death/suicide by helium occurs not because you are getting helium, but because you are NOT getting any air (oxygen)</p>