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Toys Laced with Date Rape Drug Recalled
November 08, 2007

In a year clogged with child-related recalls, this one is particularly bizarre. Millions of Chinese toys found themselves on a list of toys recalled for containing a chemical that upon ingestion converts into gamma hydroxyl butyrate or GHB, more notoriously known as the "date rape" drug.

Already three children in the US and two in Australia have been hospitalized after ingesting the toy known as Aqua Dots. In Australia the toy is called Bindeez and it has had a very successful run in the Australia toy market this year.

The toys are distributed by a Toronto based company, Spin Master Toys, and are believed to have been manufactured in Shenzhen in China's Guangdong province. The toy beads are used in arts and crafts projects and are widely available over the Net. When ingested the chemical on the surface converts in to gamma hydroxy butyrate, leading to loss of consciousness and seizures. Ingestion can lead to the victim going into a coma and even death. The two U.S children who ingested Aqua Dots went into non responsive comas. They have since recovered. In Australia three children have been hospitalized including a 19- month-old child.

The recall couldn't have come at a worse time for the already embattled toy industry. Aqua Dots was one of the few silver linings in a year sullied by the dark clouds of recall. Millions of toys, most of them coated with lead or with removable and ingestible parts, have been pulled off store shelves as a series of toy recalls had toy companies skittish and parents worried. The success of Aqua Dots gave the industry a bit of a breather, and the toy in fact found its way into many "must have" lists as the toy to gift over the holiday season.

The Chinese toy manufacturing sector has been taking steps to protect its image, but nobody seriously trusts that this is the last recall we will hear of this year. There has already been one toy scare too many for anyone to believe that.

If you or your child has been injured due to a dangerous or recalled product, you may be entitled to compensation for those injuries. Contact a California personal injury lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

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