Parents have accused a £1.50 Asda product of being a "choking hazard" after coming into problems while trying to use it.
One mum said Asda's confetti balloons are "bloody dangerous" after buying them for her son's birthday. Sara Dyson said she was blowing them up with her teenage daughter when the pair experienced issues.
The 42-year-old, from Keighley, said: "The balloons were purchased from our local Asda. We were blowing them up and when you inhale to exhale again, the confetti gets sucked into the back of your throat.
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"My daughter laughed at me while she was blowing hers up and then she inhaled them herself. For a second it was actually quite scary."
Georgie Young, 31, sparked the initial debate on Facebook after posting about the balloons. She said she found it difficult to add the confetti, describing it as "long-winded", but the post revealed another alleged issue.
Other parents said they feared that their children may swallow the confetti, which could be dangerous. However, the packaging makes clear the product is a potential hazard, that a pump is recommended and children should be supervised.
Chloe, who did not want to give her second name, claims she also "nearly choked" while blowing up the balloons. The South London mum, 29, posted about her experience in the comments, including a picture of her with confetti in her mouth.
She said: "It was extremely fiddly getting the confetti in, and when I went to blow up the balloon, I ended up with a mouthful of the stuff. It took a few seconds before I managed to get it all out before choking.
"At first I thought it was funny, hence the expression in the photo. But if that was a child it would have definitely been a huge choking issue."
Jamie Newman, who bought the balloons for her daughter's birthday, also weighed in on the debate. The 37-year-old, from Hertfordshire, said: "I poured the confetti into the silly cardboard funnel and it all got stuck.
"Not thinking things through I decided to blow on the funnel to push the confetti through. Instead of going into the balloon it all shot to the back of my throat and got stuck for a few seconds. Luckily I managed to cough it out."
The ECHO understands no formal complaints or issues about the product have been reported to Asda. The packaging says the product is not suitable for children under three and that all users should be cautious.
There is also a suffocation warning.
A spokesperson for Asda said: "There are clear instructions on the packaging of this product which state that the use of a balloon pump is recommended. There are also warnings advising that the product is not suitable for children.
"If a customer has an issue with any of our products, we encourage them to contact us directly so that we can try to understand their concerns.”
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