I emailed the makers of Breathe Right yesterday about this phenomenom, and got a reply this morning (that's amazing in and of itself!). Here's their response:
"Dear Mr. Boswell,
Thank you for your recent purchase of Breathe RightŪ nasal strips. We appreciate the time you took to contact us regarding the blue glow you saw when opening the nasal strip wrappers.
What you are seeing is a process similar to static electricity. Static electricity is the electric charge generated when there is friction between two materials or substances, like clothes tumbling in your dryer. Static electricity is what causes the sparks when you comb your hair or touch a metal object, like a doorknob, after walking across a carpet on a cold, dry day (especially during winter).
This is a common occurrence for latex based cold seal packaging. The adhesive joining the two sides of the wrapper together is actually a fine layer of latex. Energy is released in the form of static electricity when the nasal strip wrapper is pulled apart to expose the nasal strip. This presents no hazard to our typical consumer. "
Maybe they need to add a warning label:
"WARNING - DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OPEN THIS HERE BREATHE RIGHT STRIP IF YOU'RE IN A ROOM FILLED UP WITH GAS OR OTHER EXPLOSIVE STUFF!!!! ALTHOUGH UF YOU'RE IN A ROOM FILLED WITH GAS, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BREATHE RIGHT BETTER ANYWAY???"