NP Rank:
Christmas Season: 'Date-rape' drug found in Chinese toy
Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
Really Now! Does this not surprise anyone, anymore?
One can only guess why any country would allow imports of any Chinese product nowadays, knowing full well the dangers to consumers health, especially this upcoming Christmas Season, giving new meaning Santa knows when you are sleeping, and knows when you are awake. Is it only a matter of time parents on Christmas Day may find Timmy and Britney passed out permanently?
Toys R Us in Canada has removed the Chinese-made children's toy Aqua Dots from store shelves after Australian officials discovered that a similar toy there contained the powerful "date-rape drug."Australian officials pulled the toy from store shelves after three children were hospitalized over the last 10 days. They had swallowed beads from a toy called Bindeez.
When eaten, the compound -- gamma hydroxy butyrate -- metabolizes into the "date rate" drug. It can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.
The Bindeez beads are arranged into designs and fuse together when sprayed with water.
Bindeez isn't sold in Canada, but a similar toy called Aqua Dots is. Both toys are made by the same company.
AQUA DOTS
Toronto-based Spin Master Ltd., the company which distributes Aqua Dots in North America, issued a voluntary recall of the toy yesterday afternoon, saying it was "working to identify any shipments" that could potentially be included in a recall by U.S. and Canadian officials.
However, Health Canada could not immediately confirm whether a recall is imminent for the toy.
"It's No. 1 on the agenda," Health Canada spokeswoman Joey Rathwell said.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled the toy yesterday. Two children in the U.S. were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.
Crowd Power
-
Barry Artiste
Vancouver, Canada




Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 09:46 on November 8th, 2007
Barry Artiste, Good stuff.
at 10:37 on November 8th, 2007
Barry Artiste, good stuff.
I posted about this last night with important phone numbers and websites to assist people who may have these toys. http://www.nowpublic.com/life/aqua-dots-recall-spin-master-children-became-unconscious-after-swallowing-beads-alert
at 16:40 on November 8th, 2007
Thanks Comoms, I think it about time our Government sets China Straight, Get with the program or keep your crap at home. Granted our ecopnomy may suffer, but then North America may rethink manufacturing back in North America instead of outsourcing our birthright. Consumers will pay more for North American products, but if your health of you and your kids are at stake, perhaps this is a price well worth paying. To Date all vitamins, our seafood, a whack load of our fruits and veggies we always thought were home grown are from China. Now our toys and clothes, enough is enough with putting North Americans out of work for the sake of ousourcing crap on our dinner table and our kids unsafe toys and appliances. There is a booming market in China forging our ULC and CSA safety labels to put on their products making North American consumer think they passed our rigourous inspections, It is so rampant now that Home insurance companies leave it up to you to check that your appliances from hair dryers to stoves meet North American standards in case of an electrical fire, because we can't rely on ULC and CSA stickers being authentic, even the stores cannot tell the difference, especially from discount dollar stores, something to think about if a fire happens and the insurance company finds you have cheap crap which caused the fire and then Insurance companies will NOT honour the insurance policy. Don't believe me, check it out for yourself. Same goes for fake autoparts, if they fail, you get hurt, insurance find they are forgeries, you're screwed, blued and tatooed.