AQUA DOTS recall... date rape drug?

[jodiFL]

What was touted as one of the hottest new toys this Christmas is being pulled off store shelves because of fears it could poison children.
Aqua Dots, distributed in North America by Toronto-based Spin Master, are liquid-filled beads that can be arranged into designs and sprayed with water to hold them together. But if swallowed, the beads' coating reportedly metabolizes into the hallucinogenic "date rape" drug gammahydroxybutyrate, also known as GBH. An overdose can cause seizures, coma or death.
The toy, aimed at kids age 4 and older and heavily advertised on TV, is made in China by Australian company Moose Enterprise. Marketed in Australia as Bindeez, it was withdrawn there this week when three children needed hospital treatment after swallowing beads.
The Toys `R' Us chain was the first here to take Aqua Dots off its shelves, followed by Mastermind, which has stores in Toronto and across the GTA. It had been on Wal-Mart's list of top 12 Christmas toys.
Spin Master issued a statement yesterday saying it was asking retailers across North America to stop selling Aqua Dots.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we have stopped shipping this item and are working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada," the firm said. "Our company is working diligently to identify any shipments that could potentially be included in a recall by . . . Canadian officials."

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/274693

 

[Ocean Lover]

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/274693

This one seems to the scariest so far. I can just imagine all the younger siblings crawling on the floor picking these up and putting them in their mouth.

 

[kathydwells]

I'm thinking...where the HE** is the QA/QC department????? Wouldn't they check this stuff out before they put it on the market?

 

[scooterbug44]

I thought kid's toys for that age group weren't supposed to be small enough to swallow anyway............obviously they aren't supposed to dissolve into GBH.

Glad my mother/grandmother save toys for future generations - those seem to be the only "safe" toys as they were manufactured before we sent everything overseas to be made!

 

[jodiFL]

What I cant figure out is that I heard about this toy almost a week ago being recalled in Australia. Why did it take OUR government this long to recall (notice in the top right corner if pic) the "ATA Toy of The Year 2007"? I can only hope that they were waiting to get it off the shelves before advertising GHB being on sale at Walmart.

 

[sunspotbaby]

I'm thinking...where the HE** is the QA/QC department????? Wouldn't they check this stuff out before they put it on the market?

They are all passed out on the floor in the lab while the evil CEO has his way with them

 

[Miss Kitty]

They are all passed out on the floor in the lab while the evil CEO has his way with them

...this is so bad it is good.

 

[BeachSiO2]

What I cant figure out is that I heard about this toy almost a week ago being recalled in Australia. Why did it take OUR government this long to recall (notice in the top right corner if pic) the "ATA Toy of The Year 2007"? I can only hope that they were waiting to get it off the shelves before advertising GHB being on sale at Walmart.

I'll be right back I need to pick up a few items at Wal Mart :leaving:

 

[peapod1980]

I can hear it now from the grade school boys--hey, wanna play Aqua Dots?

 

[InletBchDweller]

good one P

I can hear it now from the grade school boys--hey, wanna play Aqua Dots?