"Don't Inhale Helium Gas Recklessly on Halloween," Consumer Agency Issues Safety Alert

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] As Halloween Day approaches, demand for party supplies using helium gas is expected to increase, and the Korea Consumer Agency, together with the Korea Gas Safety Corporation, has issued a safety advisory for helium gas consumers.

According to the Consumer Agency on the 28th, a total of 7 helium gas safety accidents have been reported to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS) over the past 10 years. Although the frequency of occurrence is not high, 6 of these cases were unintentional accidents caused by children inhaling excessive amounts of helium gas.

High-pressure helium gas is subject to restrictions on sales, import, and transportation under the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act, and containers must indicate the manufacturing date and manufacturer. However, low-pressure helium gas, which is mainly sold online, is not regulated.

As a result of a joint investigation by the Consumer Agency and the Gas Safety Corporation into the labeling and distribution status of 9 helium gas products sold online, 5 products did not display warnings or cautionary labels regarding the risks of excessive helium gas inhalation or handling by children on their online product detail pages or containers.

Additionally, 2 products classified as high-pressure gas were illegally distributed via courier services instead of registered vehicles complying with facility and technical standards.

The two organizations have decided to strengthen information provision and promote safety awareness improvement for helium gas products to prevent safety accidents.

The Consumer Agency and the Gas Safety Corporation stated, “Inhaling a large amount of helium gas at once can cause suffocation symptoms, and in severe cases, hypoxia can lead to death. We hope consumers properly recognize the risks of excessive helium gas inhalation and use it only for designated purposes.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.