AQUA DOTS RECALL!!!
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive November 2007:
AQUA DOTS RECALL!!!
Aqua Dots
Basically what it is saying is that children have been hospitalized after digesting them. The chemical in them breaks down into the same chemical found in the date rape drug.
Wow! It does seem quite obvious to me that it would be a problem with kids wanting to try them because they are such a good size, pretty colors, and fun feeling!
It would probably be tempting for even older children who are old enough to "know better".
I was going to post about this! I heard about it on the radio on the way home and this is something my daughter has asked for!
You know, Adena, I was thinking the same thing. One of the children in the US who was hospitalized was just a baby. So what is a baby doing playing with beads?
But regardless, it's still dangerous, and I am glad that they are being recalled.
I had this toy in my hand last week, because it was the coolest thing. My kids love those stupid iron together things, and I thought ooohh a way I wouldn't have to iron! Well I was over budget at Michaels and decided not to buy them. I am glad, I bet my 9 year old would of eaten one!
I've started to buy them for my kids a couple of times, but for different reasons, I didn't. I was planning on buying some for the kids for Christmas. Kaye, my 11 year old would probably eat one! She's awful for doing silly stuff like that, even though as a baby she NEVER put things in her mouth. If she found something, she'd bring it to me.
I'm glad they recalled these right away. I bet there are so many young kids out there that have these, though.
These were on my list as a Christmas present for Brendan, he's asked for them several times.
What are they??
Here's a picture on a CNN link: Aquadots
They are apparently intended to be arranged in a pattern and when sprayed with water will stick together in the pattern. You can see that they look like small candies and I can understand why a young child would eat them.
My guess is that some Chinese manufacturer substituted a "cheaper" adhesive for the one called for in the specifications, to have a higher profit. Problem is, as we know, there is very little supervision in China and not much enforcement even when something like this happens.
I know I watch very carefully for "Made in China" labels on anything I buy for my granddaughter.
And here's a NYTimes article telling how an Australian doctor found the danger, and an explanation of what the chemical is (the one substituted for the specified chemicals) with another picture showing what fun these beads could be: NYTimes
They are on dd's Christmas list as well. I am so glad she is older and not so much into lots of toys. I would be a nervous wreck to buy toys this year. Guess we will be sticking to DS games, computer games, movies and clothes for her this year.
I heard about this on the radio. So, if you have little kids, what toys can you trust? I'm glad I'm really not in the market for toys for anyone! I'd be so nervous!
OMGOSH, I was just coming here to post that!
AP
Posted: 2007-11-08 08:15:27
Filed Under: Recalls
WASHINGTON (Nov. 7) - Millions of Chinese-made toys for children have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the U.S. and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.
With only seven weeks until Christmas, the recall is yet another blow to toy industry - already bruised by a slew of recalls this past summer.
In the United States, the toy goes by the name Aqua Dots, a highly popular holiday toy distributed by Toronto-based Spin Master Toys. They are called Bindeez in Australia, where they were named toy of the year at an industry function earlier this year.
It could not immediately be learned whether Aqua Dots beads are made in the same factories as the Bindeez product. Both are sold by Australia-based Moose Enterprises.
The toy beads are sold in general merchandise stores and over the Internet for use in arts and crafts projects. They can be arranged into designs and fused together when sprayed with water.
Scientists say a chemical coating on the beads, when ingested, metabolizes into the so-called date rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate. When eaten, the compound - made from common and easily available ingredients - can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.
Naren Gunja from Australia's Poisons Information Center said the drug's effect on children was "quite serious ... and potentially life-threatening."
The recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Wednesday several hours after published reports about the recall in Australia.
The two U.S. children who swallowed Aqua Dot beads went into nonresponsive comas, commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said Wednesday afternoon
In Australia, the toys were ordered off store shelves on Tuesday when officials learned that a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were hospitalized after swallowing the beads. A 19-month-old toddler also was being treated.
The news jolted the toy industry because Aqua Dots has been one of the few bright stars of the toy selling season, which, along with overall retailing, has gotten off to a sluggish start. The item, which had been heavily advertised, had appeared on many toy experts' list of must-have holiday toys, and toy sellers are now in the midst of canceling advertising and scrambling to figure out how to replace it.
Chris Byrne, a New York-based toy consultant, noted that the incidents could have been isolated, and Spin Master may be erring on the side of caution.
"This is something that they could not have foreseen. This is an extremely hot toy. ... It's a little scary," Byrne said.
In a statement, Toys "R" Us Inc., said that it issued on Tuesday a "stop sale" on the entire Spin Master Aqua Dots product line in its North American stores and on its Web site after it learned of the news. "We understand that Spin Master and U.S. regulatory authorities are investigating this product and we have asked Spin Master to fully explain what it believes happened," said the toy seller in a statement.
Meanwhile, a separate recall was announced for 405,000 children's products made in China, most of them toy cars, because of dangerous levels of lead.
The recall includes about 380,000 Pull-Back Action Toy Cars imported by Dollar General Merchandising Inc. of Goodlettsville, Tenn., and 7,500 Dragster and Funny Car toys imported by International Sourcing Ltd. of Springfield, Mo.
Four of the recalled products were imported by Schylling Associates Inc. of Rowley, Mass., including the items Duck Family Collectable Wind-Up Toy, Dizzy Ducks Music Box, "Robot 2000" collectable tin robot and Winnie-the-Pooh Spinning Top. The company recalled another 66,000 spinning tops Aug. 22.
Representatives from Schylling Associates Inc. were not immediately available for comment.
Wednesday's recalls include about 7,200 "Big Red" Wagons imported by Northern Tool & Equipment Co. of Burnsville, Minn. Totaling about 405,700, the recalled children's products all had excessive levels of lead in their surface paint.
Although no illnesses connected to the toy car recall have been reported, lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Children's products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2007-11-07 21:14:05
My bank account loves all these recalls! I have not bought a toy for my children in months!
Christmas will be books and clothes and maybe crafty things if I can find anything safe.
They have wayyyy to many toys anyway.
Ame
I just read that adults are also ingesting the AquaDots to get the high from the GHB. 
Oh my gosh! We bought one of these for my son for his birthday recently. He's 8. I let him watch the video and he started crying saying he was going to die. I assured him he wouldn't since he hasn't eaten any. He then tells me that he put one in his mouth once and then spit it out. Goes to show you that not only babies put things in their mouths.
I hope he will be ok.
Yes, I am sure he will be fine. The chemical breaks down during digestion and only then turns into GHB. Since he didn't swallow it, it didn't get into his digestive system. If anything were to happen because he put one in his mouth, it would have happened within 24 hours. He's safe.
I got these for my DSGS and daughter in Aug. We still have one that hasn't been opened yet, guess it will be going back.Thank God the 6 yr old didn't put it in his mouth. He's a thumb sucker still.
Whats a parent/grandparent to buy? BOOKS sound real good to me,I'm a believer in them!!!
|
Members
