A New Jersey congressman has introduced legislation that would ban water beads products that are marketed for children, warning that the colorful, water-absorbing balls that are sold as kids’ toys can be deadly.
Water beads, which are made from a water-absorbent polymer, come in a variety of bright colors, and can look like candy to young children.
When dry, water beads can be the size of a pinhead. But when coming into contact with water, they can grow to many times their size.
The danger is that, when swallowed, they can absorb internal bodily fluids and continue to grow inside the body, potentially causing internal injuries and even death, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
“CPSC has heard heartbreaking stories from parents whose children ingested water beads and suffered severe consequences, including grave internal injuries, lifelong health impacts and death,” the agency said in a recent safety alert warning parents that water beads can be deadly if swallowed.
Call For Nationwide Ban
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) on Monday called for a ban on water beads marketed for children.
“They look and sound fun, but the reality is these colorful products can become deadly or cause serious injuries when swallowed by children,” Mr. Pallone said at a press conference in front of the Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey.
Called the “Ban Water Beads Act,” the draft legislation would direct the CPSC to enforce a nationwide ban on all water beads marketed for use by children.
Mr. Pallone said he plans to introduce the legislation as a draft bill in the House later this week.
The location of the press conference during which Mr. Pallone made the announcement—outside a hospital—is apt since there were roughly 7,800 emergency room visits between 2016 and 2022 resulting from children ingesting water beads.
The congressman was joined at the event by CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric, who warned that water beads pose a serious hazard to kids.
“I have heard heartbreaking stories from parents whose children ingested water beads and suffered horrendous consequences, including grave internal injuries, lifelong health impacts, and even death,” Mr. Hoehn-Saric said. “All small children who have access to water beads are at risk.”
Several parents whose children were seriously injured or died due to water bead ingestion, expressed support for the ban.
Taylor Bethard, a parent whose child died after ingesting a water bead from a children’s toy kit, said that the legislation would “help ensure that no other family endures the same tragedy we have.”
Water Bead Toy Recall
The recall targeted a popular toy package, Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits, produced by Buffalo Games and sold exclusively at Target.
It followed several serious accidents where children swallowed the kit’s beads, including a 10-month-old child who died as a result.
Target said it stopped selling the activity kits in November last year after a 9-months-old baby from Maine was seriously injured from swallowing the water beads, which caused an intestinal obstruction requiring surgery to remove them.
At the time of the recall, Target said its customers should return the product and contact Target for a full refund.
In July, Buffalo Games received another, more serious, report when a 10-month-old child had died from swallowing the recalled water beads in Wisconsin.
“Consumers should immediately stop using and take away the recalled water beads from children,” CPSC said in its release. “Contact Buffalo Games for a full refund and instructions on how to return the product in a prepaid mailing package supplied by the firm or return the product to any Target store.”
