Expired Pyrotechnic Flares and Their Impact on the Environment and Your Health

When asked, most boaters will admit to either keeping their expired flares on board their boats as backups, or they store them off-site, maybe in a garage or shed.  Some boaters, however, have been known to discard these dangerous flares in a regular trash can, or some even throw them overboard into the water… The seeping of toxic chemicals from pyrotechnic flares into the soil or groundwater should concern us all.  Perchlorates, for example, are a common ingredient in many pyrotechnic flares…reduces the thyroid’s ability to take up iodine, which reduces thyroid hormone production and results in hypothyroidism

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Are Your Flares Kid/Family-Friendly? Read This Before You Replace Your Expired Set of Pyrotechnic Flares

Picture this scenario…
You are going out on your boat or yacht and decide to take your young child with you. Let’s say he/she is about 6 years old. Everything is going well, as it always does…suddenly something happens. It may be a medical emergency putting you out of commission, or maybe a problem with your boat that requires your full and immediate attention. But you need help, and darn it all, your radio is not working or you didn’t teach junior how to use it…So, what’s the alternative? A battery-operated, totally non-explosive, child-safe, family-friendly, nighttime visual distress signal option for your vessel.

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