GHB fears for Chinese-made toys

barakabaraka Posts: 1,268
edited November 2007 in A Moving Train
:eek:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7083158.stm
GHB fears for Chinese-made toys

Bindeez toy
The children who swallowed the beads have now recovered
Millions of Chinese-made toys have been recalled in the US and Australia after they were found to contain a substance linked to the date-rape drug GHB.

A total of five children were taken to hospital after swallowing tiny beads known as Bindeez in Australia and Aqua Dots in the US.

The beads were coated in chemicals which transformed into the banned drug when swallowed.

It is the latest in a series of safety scares over products made in China.

US toy maker Mattel has recalled more than 20 million Chinese-made toys this year.

Coloured beads

The toy has proved extremely popular in both countries. In 2007, Bindeez was named Australia's Toy of the Year.

The toy consists of hundreds of brightly-coloured beads that can be arranged into a piece of art and sprayed with water to set.

The beads are meant to be coated in a non-toxic glue, but a batch in Australia was found to be covered with a substance that did not match the approved formula.

In Australia, two children in New South Wales and one child in Queensland have been hospitalised in the past two weeks after swallowing the beads.

All three have now recovered, but all of the country's states and territories have now banned the toy.

In the US, two children were affected, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned. They slipped into comas, but later recovered.

About 4.2 million units of the toy will be recalled in the US, officials said, and about one million in Australia.

Australian-based manufacturer Moose Enterprises said the toys were made at a factory in southern China's Guangdong province.

The firm said Bindeez beads would in future be covered with a "foul-tasting ingredient" to try to ensure children would not eat them.

The fair trading minister in Australia's New South Wales, Linda Burney, said an investigation was under way to determine how batches of the Chinese-made beads failed to match the approved formula.
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance,
but the illusion of knowledge.
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Comments

  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    It's been huge here. Very scary stuff.
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    I had to explain to my daughter yesterday why the store wanted her toy back....it was the fucking toy of the year for chrissake. I'm thankful my kids are ok...but I'm not happy. And I don't have receipts. I wonder if they'll give me money back anyway? One thing's for sure...I'm eating all the fucking dots before I bring it back.
  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    I had to explain to my daughter yesterday why the store wanted her toy back....it was the fucking toy of the year for chrissake. I'm thankful my kids are ok...but I'm not happy. And I don't have receipts. I wonder if they'll give me money back anyway? One thing's for sure...I'm eating all the fucking dots before I bring it back.

    If it's part of a Nationwide recall, I doubt very much you'll have to supply a receipt.

    Now just stay away from the beads! ;)
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    Jeanie wrote:
    If it's part of a Nationwide recall, I doubt very much you'll have to supply a receipt.

    Now just stay away from the beads! ;)

    That's what I thought, but I've never been involved with a recall. And yes, I'll take your advice, GHB is nasty stuff! Those poor kids :(
    Man! All these frickin recalls....that is a cool toy too! My daughter loved it....I'm disappointed because it actually seemed like a toy that encouraged creativity, helped hand-eye coordination...lots of good stuff....
  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    That's what I thought, but I've never been involved with a recall. And yes, I'll take your advice, GHB is nasty stuff! Those poor kids :(
    Man! All these frickin recalls....that is a cool toy too! My daughter loved it....I'm disappointed because it actually seemed like a toy that encouraged creativity, helped hand-eye coordination...lots of good stuff....


    Well me either, but I'm fairly certain that if the goods are recalled Nationwide because they are "faulty" then you, the consumer won't be expected to return them without a refund, or at least some kind of recompense and I really can't see them expecting that people will have held onto the dockets. They'd be in a world of trouble if they don't get these things back and destroyed.

    They sound like they would have been a good toy too! I wish we'd stop getting things from China. They're proving more and more that the safe guards simply aren't there. I got an email this week from a friend who'd bought a cheap pair of Haiviana (thongs/flip flops) knock offs that had been made in China and the poor girls feet had been BURNED from something in the rubber!! :eek: Just hideous the photos were.
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • 810wmb810wmb Posts: 849
    hey, i didn't know this!

    gee, now if i can figure out how to talk my date into eating some chinese beads, i'm set!
    i'm the meat, yer not...signed Capt Asshat
  • gabersgabers Posts: 2,787
    How much more bad press could the Chinese manufacturers get?! I wonder if this will in any way affect the average American shopper. I would like to think it would create a high demand for American made products, but I'm probably dreaming I'm sure. I think if Wal Mart, for example, took a huge hit this holiday season because all of their cheap Chinese made shit was scaring off their base then that just may cause a sea change. Maybe people would be willing to pay $15 instead of $10 for a Sponge Bob doll and get a safe, quality, American made product.
  • dangerboydangerboy Posts: 1,569
    gabers wrote:
    How much more bad press could the Chinese manufacturers get?! I wonder if this will in any way affect the average American shopper. I would like to think it would create a high demand for American made products, but I'm probably dreaming I'm sure. I think if Wal Mart, for example, took a huge hit this holiday season because all of their cheap Chinese made shit was scaring off their base then that just may cause a sea change. Maybe people would be willing to pay $15 instead of $10 for a Sponge Bob doll and get a safe, quality, American made product.

    i think you're going to see exactly that. if i can find an american made spongebob, i'd gladly pay a premium price over the chinese version. 6 months of toy recalls will spook the hell out of people imho...

    and the toy that's been recalled is probably great, and will probably return without the toxic shit on the outside. if it was in demand, someone will sieze the opportunity


    ebay isn't evil people are


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  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    And now they're issuing warnings to schoolies not be popping bindies. :(

    http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22727348-953,00.html
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • TrixieCatTrixieCat Posts: 5,756
    gabers wrote:
    How much more bad press could the Chinese manufacturers get?! I wonder if this will in any way affect the average American shopper. I would like to think it would create a high demand for American made products, but I'm probably dreaming I'm sure. I think if Wal Mart, for example, took a huge hit this holiday season because all of their cheap Chinese made shit was scaring off their base then that just may cause a sea change. Maybe people would be willing to pay $15 instead of $10 for a Sponge Bob doll and get a safe, quality, American made product.
    Maybe if we stopped buying all of this crap related to tv shows and Disney characters. How about a puzzle or a book??
    I am happy to say I have not been involved in a single one of these recalls as I don't buy all of this crap for my kid.
    Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
    And I don't feel right when you're gone away
  • gabersgabers Posts: 2,787
    TrixieCat wrote:
    Maybe if we stopped buying all of this crap related to tv shows and Disney characters. How about a puzzle or a book??
    I am happy to say I have not been involved in a single one of these recalls as I don't buy all of this crap for my kid.

    We have a whole lot of everything. My 15 month old son probably has 50 books, a large trashcan full of stuffed animals, assorted puzzles, blocks, things that flash, sing, dance, etc. Probably 90% of this was purchased by others. My point is that these things made in China could be made here for just a little bit more money and peace of mind.
  • Any bets on how many people start sucking or deriving certain Chinese products to catch a buzz?

    In Mexico where i was staying the guy who owned the condo complex threw 24 hour parties at his place constantly. He would mix up rufie-coladas (Rohypnol) for people do mellow out and come down from all the blow.

    Crazy situation that was.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

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  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    TrixieCat wrote:
    Maybe if we stopped buying all of this crap related to tv shows and Disney characters. How about a puzzle or a book??
    I am happy to say I have not been involved in a single one of these recalls as I don't buy all of this crap for my kid.
    Who says people don't buy their kids puzzles or books if they buy something involved in a recall? This toy is not related to tv shows or Disney characters....it's basically a gimmicky arts n crafts toy, and a pretty cool one at that....if it wasn't laced with drugs, it would not be a crap toy at all. You're coming across as kinda smug or superior with that statement, and you obviously don't even know what the toy is.
  • HartydogHartydog Posts: 2,060
    how many sickos do you think tried to go out and buy these from places that still had them for sale?
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