Latest TOY recall...

Yes, and it's from China. The toy called AQUA DOTS in the USA (BINDEES in other countries) is being recalled. It turns out that the toy, when chewed on creates a chemical called GHB...the date rape drug! It can be fatal to children.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...329225773.html

Made in China, yeah. Aussie toy, though.

I bet there were a number of people buying up before the product was recalled!

we have just had this on news :

Toys recalled over 'date rape' drug fear

Up to 500,000 toys are being recalled after concerns they contain a chemical that converts to a powerful "date rape" drug if ingested
Character Group - the UK distributor has asked retailers and consumers across the UK and Ireland to return the products.

It follows reports that children in the US and Australia have been taken to hospital after swallowing the China-made beads.

They can be arranged into designs and fused together when sprayed with water but scientists have said a chemical coating on the beads, when ingested, metabolises into the gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB).

Character Group said it believes an "unapproved formulation" might have been used in the manufacturing process.

The firm said there have been no cases of illness reported in the UK and Ireland, but said the voluntary recall was issued as a precautionary measure.

Character has shipped up to 500,000 Bindeez bead products over the year, with between 100,000 to 150,000 with retailers at the moment.

Shares in Character Group plummeted 8 per cent on the news, as it warned the situation would "inevitably" hit sales in the key pre-Christmas trading period.

Richard King, chairman of Character Group, said: "We believe that the product we have is safe, but it's going to be some time until we get results of the toxicology test reports and rather than take a chance, safety is of prime importance and therefore we have taken this precaution."

Replacement products will be sent to all consumers and retailers affected by the recall, with the new supplies available from the first week of December.

They have added CURIOUS GEORGE to a recall also...

IDK but I'm not buying anything NOTHING from China until they get squared away. We've worked years to make our stuff as safe as possible (and still fall short but..) and it just isn't something I want to do for a 3rd world country.

<font color="purple">It's kinda sad, when I first heard Aquadots on te news, I thought it was that little handheld game were you pressed the button, and then it'd shoot bubbles in the little tank and move around the dots/rings/etc.

And then of course, I was amazed that I child could break into one on those mini tanks

My mom asked why would the kids put aquadots in their mouths, but looking at that picture I can see how they'd look tempting like food. </font>

Thanks for posting this. I was going to, but got sidetracked.

My mother called me yesterday morning because I just bought these off TV for little David a few months ago! I bough extra beads as well.

Some call me over-protective, but I'm glad. I wouldn't let him use it (even though he was almost five) without me because I still considered it a choking hazard for him (those little beads are sooo attractive and look like so many different candies), so... I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad that I'm over-protective because it can definitely help at times.

I'm still waiting to see if I should send my batches out somewhere to be tested...

KD

Thank you! You are so good to post things like this.

Where will it end!?

It will end with me. I was shopping today and looked at several items, several were toys for my cat and when I saw Made in China, I put them back. Who knows! They could have lead paint or who knows what.

So then I decided I am going to be a one-person boycott and I'm not buying anything made in China any more. Makes me feel good. I can't do much but I can do this. I can do this as a way of taking care of myself and those I care about.

I hope I haven't offended anyone. This isn't about people, rather it's about manufactured products and about making sure I'm safe.

congradulations for boycotting chinese toys people - i'm sure the USA (and so forth) is just ecstatic that you will be paying more money to buy those home grown toys :-)

the base rate fallacy seems to be relevant here. i'm sure china manufactures more toys than the majority of other countries given their population size. but one toy (or 5) goes a bit wrong and people boycot the whole countries production. how many toys need to go wrong in the USA for people to boycot USA toys? i think you will find...

that boycotting chinese toys (given the base rate of the number of units of production) is unwarranted...

ak, I don't expect it to have any effect and it isn't out of maliciousness.

I am taking care of me. that's all. actually my pet since it's pet toys.

I'm quite sure the US and other countries have faulty goods as well, but I'm working with what I know and feel like I'm making an informed decision with the focus on keeping me and my pet safe and healthy.

What I know is that there have definitely been problems with these products. I'm choosing with the reality of that.

Similar to when spinach was found to have e-coli, I avoided spinach until I felt secure that it was safe.

The reality is, there have been many recalls. It would be absolutely stupid to ignore that.

i understand that people are just trying to look out for people and / or pets that they care about.

but i guess i worry a little about whether boycotting chinese products because there were some recalls would be like boycotting people of a particular ethnic group because some members had committed some crime. i worry that it might be overgeneralizing from 'some' to 'all' in a way that is unwarranted (and that has the potential to significantly harm people producing in china who are following guidelines etc).

dunno, though. was just talking to some people about this today so i guess it was at the forefront of my mind...

Here is the list of recalled toys and children's items so far this year, with the country of origin as listed by the CPSC. This list is just for items recalled during 2007.

AAFES 'Soldier Bear' Toy Sets
China

"Accessories" Silver Stud Earrings sold at Kmart
China

Accessories Palace Children's Necklaces
China

Baby Trend Infant Back Pack Carriers
China

Basix Children's Hooded Sweatshirts
China

Boyds Collection Toy Drums
China

Brooklyn Express Hooded Sweatshirts
China

Children's Necklaces, Charm Bracelets
China

Children's Horseshoe, Dice Rings
China

Children's Metal Jewelry
China

Children's Turquoise Rings
China

Claire's Stores Necklaces
China

"Claudia Jublot" Rings Sold at Big Lots!
China

Cobmex Youth Jackets with Drawstrings
Korea

Coby Bomboxes
China

"Cooky" Stationery Sets
China

Disney Magnetic Puzzles
China

Disney Princess Easter Baskets
China

Disney Store Footed Pajamas
China

Dollar General Metal Key Chains
China

Dollar Store "Rachael Rose Kidz" Rings
China

Dynacraft Bicycles Sold at Target
China

Evenflo Embrace Infant Seats
U.S. and China

"Evil Eye" Toys
China

First Birthday Party Hats
China

Fisher-Price Bunny Toys
China

Fisher-Price Rainforest Infant Swing Set
China

"Fun Balls"
China

GeoCentral Children’s Butterfly Necklaces
China

Graco "Contempo" Highchairs
China

Graco Soft Blocks Tower
China

"Groovy Grabber" Bracelets
China

Hasbro Toy Ovens
China

H&M Boy's Jackets
China

Infant Long Johns
China

Infantino Infant Sling Carriers
China

IQ Preschool Take-Apart Townhouse
China

JAKKS Battery Packs for Toy Vehicles
China

Kids II Teethers
China

"Kidsite" Jewelry Sold at Kmart
China

Limited Too, Justice Stores Metal Jewelry
China

"Lovely Baby," "Happy Baby" Dolls
China

MagneBlocks Magnetic Construction Toys
China

Magnetix Building Set
China

Marvel Magnetic Puzzles
China

Meijer Stores Toddler Pants
Philippines

Mervyn's Capri Pants
Bangladesh

Mood Necklaces
China

Next Step Plastic Sippy/Tumbler Cups
China

Nordstrom Children's Jackets
China

Nordstrom Jeweled Children's Sandals
China

Oeuf Infant Bouncer Seats
China

Parents Magazine Toy Cell Phones
China

Payless Children's Clogs
China

"Rachael Rose Kidz" Rings
China

RedEnvelope's Life is Good Sweatshirts
China

Religious Fish Necklaces
China

Samara Brothers Boys' Jackets
China

Simplicity Nursery-in-a-Box Cribs
China

Sky Squadron, Sky Rangers Radio-Controlled Model Airplanes
China

Sleigh Round Cribs
China

Small World Wooden Puzzles
China

Sportcraft Inflatable Bounce Houses
China

Target Activity Carts Recalled
China

Target Anima Bamboo Games
China

Target Baby Rattles & Ornaments
China

Target Play Wonder Toy Grills
China

Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys
China

Toys "R" Us "Elite Operations" Toy Sets
China

Tristar Rattles, Wind-Up Toys
China

"Ultra Gear" Bracelets
China

U.S. Toy Co. Children's Butterfly Necklaces
China

OT That is just the toys and children's products... have we already forgotten the millions of Nokia batteries,patio sets that collapse, the toothpastes, and the poisoned pet food that killed so many of our beloved furry family members?
Not to mention countless other products in the past such as: honda mowers, yamaha a/c adapters and snow mobiles and ATVs.

If you make the decision to not buy China products, don't forget that if you buy used or older products from ebay, ie., to check the recall information at the Consumer Affairs website.

PS http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...cpsc_lead.html Home lead test kits are unreliable.


Have a safe and healthy holiday!

I've read with interest the comments in this thread. I have to say some of the undertones make me a little uncomfortable but I do appreciate people's concerns. I think the whole issue of the global marketplace is somethig we should all be concerned about. Our regulatory bodies are so far behind the pace of market expansion that everything we purchase and consume from sources we don't know directly is suspect.

It does make me wonder why people don't hold their own govenments accountable for this kind of thing happening again and again. And second why consumers don't own some responsibility for feeding the beast with their zeal for a bargain price.

Business is about making money. Government is about protecting the people. Consuming is about knowing what you are buying and practising ethical spending. If our governments don't establish and enforce strict regulations who can be surprised when businesses cross the line to improve their bottom line. It may not be ethical but unless it pays ethics have no place in most businesses... foreign or domestic. We may hope our governments are more attentive to domestic manufacturers but we know there are examples of faulty or harmful products getting through anyways. Not a day goes by that we don't hear about one recall or another. If consumers don't question why a price is so low or what a product is made of who can be surprise safety is ignored and who can point fingers if they have contributed to the loop.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of problems that exist because people will turn a blind eye if it means they can get something cheaper or make a buck for themselves in the process. Business feeds off that reality and feeds into it to expand their profits by turning a blind eye themselves to safety and human rights abuses so that they can bring us the cheapest product possible.

Child labour is still being used to stock the shelves of Walmart and Target. Not to mention the parade of 'celebrity turned designer' fashion lines that are 'affordable' because they are manufactured off-shore in factories filled with abused child workers. Pestisides are still being used on imported and domestic foods lining the store shelves and on the foreign made fabrics for the clothes hanging on the racks.

I see these unfortunate examples of faulty products as potential wake up calls for people. A hit on the head to take the blinders off and take responsibility as consumers to drive the market and hold governments to account rather than letting the market drive us to consume whatever is put infront of us. I won't hold my breath for that reality to hit because its hard to avoid the borage of products but I do believe if consumers don't own their responsibility in this then nothing will change.

Do people seriously think they can buy a shirt for 10 dollars and expect that no abuses or safety violations were involved. Do they expect the cloth to be pestiside free... do they think the workers were paid and treated fairly. We delude ourselves all the time so that we can enjoy lower prices for goods and services.

On the upside we are seeing a growing trend in the marketplace to buy organic, natural, responsible (environmentally sustainable) products from local and/or fair trade sources. If more consumers would take this stand then the costs would come down for these products. If consumers would value their money and reduce their spending on unnecessary, harmful products (human and environmental harm) then unethical producers might get the message. So long as no one holds them to account... unless they are caught the producers will stretch the limits. So long as consumers ingore their responsibility more and more of these examples will crop up. What will it take for people to get it?

And lastly..... don't be blind to the politics behind all of this. It's not coincidental that 'China' is being singled out. Don't forget that for the most part those factories are financed by American and other foreign investors. Don't forget to look behind the headlines.

While I don't wish this thread to become purely political, yes, I do think there is politics involved and addressing that might be ok in some ways. A bit of background information of economy and such is good for all. Helps us think.

With that said, part of the problem I think lies in that, for the USA and it's allies, a decision was made to not buy products from countries that did not trade with Israel. At that time nearly all our cloth-type products came from Pakistan, a country that refused to trade with Israel. I can't think of what all was involved with other countries in similar status. The fast shift to a country that would trade might have been caused this rush to crank out unsuitable products. The USA, I know, has had lead standards since the late 70s. It appears that we didn't even have a lead standard agreement with China until 2006? I could be mistaken. Even so, this is 2007.

I agree the American public is not outraged enough yet. I guess they never will be if the assault has been on the things we love: children and pets. But what of the other countries involved too? Canada has been affected just as we have here. Other third world countries have too, but may not have the capability to complain and make demands. Which is all the more reason for the USA and Canada to, imo.

Yes, the investors are behind the wheels on this. Which is exactly my point: a boycott of everything made in China, everything you can possibly NOT buy is the only way to send this message back home, imo.

Hi Sky.... do you notice how many on your list are American or at least non-Chinese companies who marketed the products? What responsibility do you place upon them to ensure the factories they contract the work to follow the rules? I would venture to guess that it all comes down to competitive price points. These big American companies turn a blind eye to what their contractors do so long as they come in with the right price. The Chinese factories underprice the rest and no one asks why cuz they don't want to know the details.

I think I'll check over your list a little more carefully and if bocotting is an option then I will start with the 'godfathers' behind the crime.

When Kathy Lee Giffard was caught (unknowingly or not) she was held to account by consumers and she marketed the message that it wouldn't happen again. Since the spot light has faded on her (and others like her) the practise has resumed. This discovery was underplayed in the media so she and others continue to fly under the radar while consumer enjoy the low prices and children continue to work in underground factories.

I hope Sky that you can appreciate that I am not intending to be argumentative with your position but rather I am attempting to expand the perspective on the issue. My view is that we as consumers need to see our role in resolving these lifethreatening activities in the global marketplace. We need to do our part by holding everyone in the chain to account.... not solely the manufacturer.

In the spirit of friendly discussion.....

I do appreciate the spirit of intent here. I still think the only way ALL of them are going to pay attention is if we boycott.

IDK if you recall (no pun intended) the beef boycott in the 70s. The housewives (oooohhh please) had no other voice, no one was listening that the meat prices were too high and we couldn't afford to feed our families. The women of this country (USA) boycotted beef, I think it was for a full week. The prices came right back down and stayed there for many a day, and incrementally went up afterwards like normal.

This isn't about our choices i.e. to eat meat or not) ...there are so many products coming from China that are unsafe... and we have no choice it seems.

On a personal note.... I've boycotted Made in China/Tiwaan/Korea products for a number of years. My reasons were simple. First I've always been taught to buy Canadian made products first, US second.... cuz you are our neighbour.. Second, as a Native North American artist my community has been seriously impacted with Made in China reproductions of our traditional art and craft products. It impacts our ability to sell to tourist shops who can get the same products cheaper from China. Some of our own artists fall into the trap too. They sell carvings to someone for next to nothing only to see it taken to China or somewhere else off-shore to have a mold made and masses manufactured for the tourism markets.

We have the Winter Olympics coming our way in 2010 and we are fighting to have some regulations and protection put around this issue. The government is silent and the shop owners are deaf to our concerns. We are now taking it to consumers with information and marketing materials to raise awareness and hopeful stir up a consciousness for respecting the source of the art. Besides the artists the people who get robbed are the foreign tourists. The Europeans who come to experience something of our culture only to return home with rip-off carvings and beadwork.

I design clothes and home decorating accessories. I can't compete with the large Canadian companies who rip off our art and designs and mass produce them offshore. My market is narrowed to a very high end market that will pay the true cost of authenitic native design work.

I guess that explains a little bit of where my perspective is coming from. Like I said.... the tip of the iceberg. It's a very complex issue that is unravelling all around us. Greed would seem to be the dominating value that we are attempting to face down.

(((chocolatelover)))) I, too have been selective, but not selective enough imo. I was invited to sing in the Beijing Olympic Choir, and I have just now turned it down. I do not wish to contribute to a communist country that refuses to comply with even the basic of safety laws that protect our most precious commodity: our children.

EEks... we kind of took over this thread this morning hey. I've enjoyed the discussion with you Sky. I'm with you on the boycott even if my reasons vary. I think you make a very valid point. It makes good economic and ethical sense. Who knows, if we can make our voices heard like the women with beef maybe companies will be more careful when they choose their manufacturers. At least we know the consciousness is rising. That's a beginning.

I better get off this board. I've been up all night and now its 6am here and time to focus on the day ahead. Thanks for engaging with me here. Spared me from being left alone with my insomnia.

Take good care Sky.... I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on things. You are a blessing of support and wisdom. Have a great day.....

PS It was MY thread to begin with, tis ok.

That's huge Sky. You are to be commended. I can image on one hand how tempting the opportunity must have been for you to consider, as a musician.

I believe you will be rewarded for your conviction and receive some very special invitations in the days and months to come. Who knows.... maybe you can come to Vancouver in 2010 and you can wear one of my designs. lol.

lol.... phew... the author won't flog us then!!

oh jeez

and i (of course) have been taught to boycott US products :-)
for the same reason (of course). little guys down the road making quality products by hand and then along comes in the big 'US Govt subsidised' guy and undercuts the prices such that the little guy down the road is put out of business.

i do think that there is something to be said for buying local.

i wonder how many products are made in china.
i wonder WHAT PERCENTAGE of those products are problematic
i wonder whether you would find a higher percentage of chinese products being problematic than other countries products
because there are many many many many many many many chinese products you would expect them to have a higher rate of problematic products. if NZ had 2 dud products in a year that might well make us worse producers than them ACCORDING TO PERCENTAGE

i do agree with the concerns about providing cheap products and people getting crap because they pay stuff all. and i do have problems with child labour etc (anybody boycotting Nike?)

I don't consider nearly half million play tea sets, and another one and half million toy trains... and the list goes on , to be insignificant. I do think China was chosen to provide this because they do have cheap/slave? labor and have the wherewithal for manufacturing in such immense quantities. However, why should we as Americans allow unsafe products just because... (fill in the blank with any excuse) ???

Allowances for mitigating circumstances can ruin our health, our future, maybe even our Country....

anyway...

if it were up to me, and I were buying toys for someone I love, I'd make sure this holiday season, they don't have "made in China" on them. There has to be alternatives! Might be a hard lesson to teach some children, but they won't die from it (the lesson.)