Major Retailers Halt Sales: In a significant move, Amazon, Target, and Walmart have voluntarily ceased the sale of water beads designed for children following calls for a ban from government officials, lawmakers, and health professionals. Water beads, composed of highly absorbent polymer material, can expand up to 100 times their original size and weight when exposed to liquid, posing significant health risks, especially for young children.
Due to their potential to grow inside the body if ingested, experts emphasize the immense dangers associated with these toys. Moreover, their composition, primarily made up of water, often makes them difficult to detect through typical X-rays. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a safety alert in September, highlighting that these beads can cause severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration, intestinal blockages, and life-threatening injuries, potentially requiring surgery for removal.
Sold as popular children’s toys for developmental purposes, water beads have faced increased scrutiny from lawmakers and the CPSC. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey introduced legislation last month seeking a national ban on beads marketed to children.
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Acknowledging the risks, Amazon spokespersons confirmed the company’s updated policy on water beads, indicating that listings referring to or featuring images of children or described as toys, art supplies, or sensory play would be removed. Target also announced that it would no longer sell water beads marketed to children, both in-store and online. Walmart, emphasizing customer safety as a top priority, voluntarily stopped selling expanding water bead toy and craft items marketed to young children.
Consumer Reports initially reported the voluntary bans on Amazon and Walmart. CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric emphasized the ease with which beads can be lost or dropped, posing a risk when infants or small children discover and ingest them. The CPSC urges parents and caregivers to remove such products from the reach of small children to mitigate potential hazards.
Our Reader’s Queries
What are water bead products?
Water beads are tiny, vibrant spheres composed of superabsorbent polymers. They are commonly marketed as playthings, included in craft kits, and utilized as sensory aids for kids with developmental challenges. However, concerns regarding the potential hazards of ingesting these beads have been mounting.