Blowguns are one of the few primitive types of weaponry that have made it to this century. Efficient, simple and effective, blowguns are still used in many parts of the world as tools for hunting and self-defense. But as simple as blowguns may look, they are, for all intents and purposes, still weapons. No child should be playing with them, even if an adult is around to supervise. Blowguns may look like fun toys to have but they are definitely not designed for kids.
Understanding the blowgun
A blowgun consists of two parts: a long, hollow tube and a projectile. The hole in the tube is narrow enough so as to allow some sort of projectile or dart to be inserted and for air to be blown through. The blowgun may be made with materials such as wood, bamboo, plastic or steel. The projectile or dart may be made with the same materials or any combination of these.
Why kids and blowguns don’t mix
There are several reasons why blowguns are not for kids. Here are just a few of them:
Younger children could hurt themselves or others
A blowgun is narrow and elongated while darts are sharp. Kids, especially younger ones, are not really concerned for their safety or are just too trusting of themselves to actually consider a blowgun dangerous. To them, it’s simply just a toy. Children could easily harm themselves if they accidentally trip on the device or hit someone with it.
Projectiles could be swallowed
Darts come in a variety of sizes, majority of which are small enough for a young child to swallow accidentally. A child could also hurt himself by attempting to fire the blowgun by inhaling with the other end of the blowgun still in his mouth and reversing the direction of the dart.
Furthermore, some dart varieties come with small parts that could be detached, chewed on and swallowed. These parts could also cause choking.
The more accurate the blowgun, the more dangerous it is
Kids learn fast and it shouldn’t take them long to figure out the subtle adjustments they need to make in order to be able to fire accurately at a target. In general, shorter blowguns are much more dangerous than longer blowguns because they are designed to be more accurate.
Shorter versions also do not require a lot of air to blow, so any child with enough air in his lungs could force it out and fire the projectile easily. There could be some problematic consequences if it hits a person, an animal or another child.
It is illegal for a person younger than 18 to use or own a blowgun
Thinking of giving a child a blowgun as a gift? Think again. Your state does not allow it and in some parts, it’s illegal for even grownups to use, particularly if you live in Texas, Ohio, Florida, California and Massachusetts. There is also an age requirement for its ownership and usage in states where it is allowed.
