Chinese toys found to contain date-rape drug....

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

This toy contains the "date rape" chemical- see here

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Chinese toys found to contain date-rape drug....

OK, this is really getting ridiculous........


Toy contaminated with 'date rape' drug pulled


NEW YORK (CNN) -- U.S. safety officials have recalled about 4.2 million Chinese-made Aqua Dots bead toys that contain a chemical that has caused some children to vomit and become comatose after swallowing them.


Bindeez, which were named Australia's toy of the year, contain a chemical that converts into a "date rape" drug.

Scientists have found the popular toy's coating contains a chemical that, once metabolized, converts into the toxic "date rape" drug GHB, or gamma-hydroxy butyrate, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson told CNN.

"GHB is this drug that in low doses actually causes euphoria," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent. "In higher doses, it can cause people to go into a coma. It can cause seizures. It can cause something known as hypotonia, where all your muscles just become very flaccid.

"And it can cause people to become amnestic, meaning they forget everything that's about to happen to them, which is why it became a date-rape drug," Gupta said.

"So this is nasty stuff, and it appears that the chemical is actually converting into it in the body."

The arts and craft beads, aimed at children 4 years and older, have been selling since April at major U.S. retail stores as "Aqua Dots" and in Australia under the name "Bindeez Beads."

Anyone with Aqua Dots at home should throw them out, CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese said. The toy was named toy of the year in Australia and recently made Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s list of top 12 Christmas toys.


Toronto-based toy distributor Spin Master Ltd. stopped shipping Aqua Dots and asked retailers to pull them off their shelves, where they had sold for $17 to $30. Watch what's known about the beads »

Melbourne-based Moose Enterprise Pty. Ltd. recalled Bindeez Beads on Tuesday after three children in Australia swallowed large quantities of the beads and were hospitalized.

"I was so frightened because I thought she wasn't going to make it," Heather Lehane told CNN affiliate Network 7 of her 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte, who was sickened by the beads.

In the United States, the Washington-based safety commission said it has received two reports detailing the severe effects of the digested beads.

The CPSC said a boy nearly 2 years old "swallowed several dozen beads. He became dizzy and vomited several times before slipping into a comatose state." The toddler was hospitalized and has since fully recovered, the commission added.


In the second incident, a child vomited, fell into a coma and was hospitalized for five days. It was not immediately clear whether the child had made a full recovery.

The recall is the latest to target Chinese-made toys. Last month, U.S. government safety officials and retailers recalled at least 69,000 Chinese-made toys over concerns of excessive amounts of lead paint, which can cause lead poisoning. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Janine Brady, Jason Carroll, Laura Dolan, Julie O'Neill and Leslie Wiggins contributed to this report.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

It's time to say no to "made in China".

[janapur Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close janapur]

Just returned ours this morning to Target.

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

I know, we should say no to stuff made in China. I thought these were made in Hong Kong though? I know it's part of China but still a big shock.

I emailed my family members and friends to warn them. My girls played with the Bindeez a a friend's place. A number of children here have been admitted to hospital after swallowing the beads. Even an 11yr old girl! What was she doing swallowing beads??

[janapur Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close janapur]

Even an 11yr old girl! What was she doing swallowing beads??

My thoughts exactly, especially about the boy who swallowed several dozen? I was already disappointed with the toy, as it is not at all appropriate for the tiny little fingers of my 4 yr old. The package does say 4 and up. However, these beads are teeny and require pretty skilled hand eye coordination or they'll get everywhere. I was delighted to have a great reason to return the messy toy, but unfortunately at the painful expense of other precious little ones.

[timesfive Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timesfive]

my daughter has hidden hers., i will need to have a real chat with her when she gets home from school.

she loves them and I thought they were great for her. kept her occupied for hours. I did question when I bought them were they safe.??? we have a baby so ours are definitley going in the bin.