My hamper floweth over

The Keith Family News

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Call me Debbie Downer

I am working on to future posts; one highlighting some products I have discovered and now can't live without, and the other about the "Halloween picture curse" my family suffers from. The only reason I have pics of Max in his costume is because I promised to pass some along to the costumes makers (you didn't think I made it, did you?).

But I have to pause to pass along this in case you live in a hole and haven't heard




Target, Toys R Us, Amazon and Wal-Mart, among other retailers are all scrambling to pull the latest hot toy off store shelves. Not because it’s almost Christmas and it’s considered a top Wal-Mart toy for 2007.

“Aqua Dots Super Studio” was being heavily promoted this season as a fun arts-and-crafts project that combines, “creativity and crafting to create multiple designs – just add water!”

Adding water or saliva is the problem.

In an unusually strong warning, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that a solvent used to manufacture the toy’s beads at a Chinese plant can, when ingested, convert into a chemical that’s found in the date rape drug known as GHB.

More than four million of the toys, distributed by the Canadian company, Spin Master are being recalled. They’ve been on store shelves since April and may be in a closet waiting to be wrapped.

In an unusually strong warning, the CPSC says consumers should take the toy away from their child and look for any stray beads that may have fallen from the craft kit.

CPSC’s Julie Vallese says, "Parents should take this very seriously. The consequences to children who ingest these beads is very serious."

5 Children Injured

The CPSC has reports of two U.S. children who swallowed Aqua Dots including a 20-month-old who became dizzy and vomited then slipped into a comatose state. A second child vomited, went into a coma and was hospitalized for five days. Both children have recovered.

Since last week, three Australian children were also hospitalized by the Australian version of the bead toy called Bindeez, Australia’s 2007 Toy of the Year.

A two-year old boy and 10-year old girl swallowed a quantity of beads and were both admitted to a Sydney hospital. The third child, a 19-month old was also receiving medical help after eating beads.


Seriously, people. What are we supposed to get our kids for Christmas? Lead testing kits? Is there a kit to test for GHB? Mine are getting paper, lead free pencils, and maybe Hazmat suits. So that they can play with their toys without fear of being poisoned.
Keithclan, 3:46 PM

2 Comments:

I am really in a knot trying to figure out what to do for Christmas toys. These Chinese factory recalls and stuff like this are really getting to me.
Blogger Unknown, at 4:28 PM  
Tell me about it! We bought Megan one of these kits this summer and I have been frantically looking for it ever since I saw the news story. Ever tried to find one toy amongst the mounds? The one thing that I was looking for but couldn't find. I also had Allison and my mom looking in hopes that she had left them there. No fear though - I located the culprit this evening. And then had to pry the finished designs, that Megan had worked VERY HARD to complete, out of her hands and explain to her that we had to get rid of them. How do you explain to a 5 year old that her art project could kill her or her little brother?? Not a good experience!

On a happier note, I loved the costume! Do you think I might be able to borrow it in another few years??
Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:49 PM  

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