“Silly string,” a colorful aerosol foam that children spray on each other, is not so silly after all, at least not in Los Angeles.
The city council voted Tuesday to ban the use of the string-like plastic derivative in Hollywood on Halloween because of environmental and security concerns.
Liberal use of the stringy foam by Halloween revelers had sparked fights in years past on Hollywood Boulevard, officials said.
“People get a little crazed at the end of the evening and they shoot the spray into each other’s faces,” said Jane Galbraith, spokeswoman for ban sponsor Councilman Tom LaBonge.
Merchants complained it was hard to clean up, while environmentalists charged that it harmed marine life when it drained from the streets into the ocean because it was not biodegradable.
“It’s not silly at all,” LaBonge told reporters.
The council voted 10-0 in favor of the ban and must approve the ordinance one more time for it to become law.
Galbraith said silly string offenders would face fines between $200 and $1,000.