Aqua Dots Toy Recalled By T.O.-Based Manufacturer

On Wednesday, CityNews.ca told you about a popular children’s toy being recalled in Australia after officials discovered it contained a chemical that transforms into the date rape drug when swallowed.

“This toxin can cause you to become comatose, from which you may either stop breathing or obstruct your airway and potentially cause death,” said Dr. Naren Gunja from a local poison information centre.

Now, Toronto-based toy manufacturer Spin Master is voluntarily recalling a similar plaything made by the same company. Aqua Dots, produced by Australian-based Moose Enterprises, consists of tiny beads that look harmless enough. But the problem occurs if children ingest them – a chemical used to produce the items reportedly turns into gammy hydroxyl butyrate (GHB) internally.

At least three children in Australia were sent to hospital suffering from the drug’s side-effects, which include drowsiness, unconsciousness, seizures, and even death. Toys ‘R Us pulled Aqua Dots from its shelves Wednesday upon learning of the problem in Australia. The beads are reportedly made in China, which has been the source of a spate of toy-related safety concerns in recent months.

There have been no reports of any children being injured by the toy here in Canada.

According to Spin Master, more than two-thirds of the 4.2 million toys included in the recall haven’t been bought up by families yet. For those parents who have purchased the toy, they’re advised to take it away from their children and make sure there aren’t any stray dots lying around for them to put in their mouths.

“Spin Master has always been a trusted company and distributor of children’s products and we have made the safety of children our foremost priority. We will continue working to ensure that this standard is strictly upheld,” said company spokesperson Donna MacNeil in a statement. “We are grateful that this issue was brought to our attention so that we can quickly address it to ensure both the quality and safety of every product that we distribute.” 

With holiday shopping season in full swing, the latest string of recalls couldn’t have come at a worse time for the toy industry. And they’ve gotten so much attention that the United Steelworkers Union and the NDP want to impose a law that would force importers to pay and test toys coming into the country.

Anyone with questions about the product can visit http://www.cpsc.gov/ or http://www.aquadotsrecall.com/ for more information.