China Confirms "Date Rape" Drug On Toy

Aqua Dots Were Coated With Toxic Compound Instead Of A Safe, But More Expensive Alternative

(AP)  China's safety watchdog confirmed Saturday that toy beads recalled in the United States and Australia after sickening children contain a substance that can turn into the "date-rape" drug after ingested.

The toys, coated with the industrial chemical 1,4-butanediol, were made by the Wangqi Product Factory in Shenzhen, a city just over the border from Hong Kong, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine said in a statement.

When ingested, the chemical metabolizes into the "date-rape" drug gamma hydroxy butyrate, also known as GHB, which can cause breathing problems, loss of consciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.

Millions of units of the popular toys, which are sold as Aqua Dots in the United States and as Bindeez in Australia, were recalled in those countries as well as Britain, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere this past week after children began falling sick from swallowing the toy's bead-like parts.

The recall is the latest in a slew of product quality scandals that has tarnished China's image as an exporter of reliable goods. The government has tried to shore up the country's reputation by increasing inspections, selectively punishing companies and launching a publicity campaign to boost quality.

The toys are manufactured for Australia-based Moose Enterprises, and production was outsourced to Wangqi by a Hong Kong agent, the safety watchdog said. It did not identify the Hong Kong company.

"The Shenzhen factory started to produce the bead toys after its trial products provided to the agent received no objection," the state-run Xinhua News Agency said.

At least nine children in the U.S. and three in Australia have fallen sick.

A man identifying himself as Mr. Liang who answered the phone at Wangqi confirmed the company made toys but said he did not know if the toys were the same ones in the recalls. Liang said the company's managers were not available to comment.

The Chinese government has already suspended exports of the toys, the safety watchdog said.

The watchdog said it asked the United States for information on the medical problems the children suffered because of the toys so that it can carry out more tests.

Companies worldwide have increasingly outsourced manufacturing, often choosing Chinese factories for their cost and quality. But heated competition among factories and the rising cost of labor, land and fuel have sometimes put pressure on profits, causing some producers to cut corners.

In the latest case, the Aqua Dots or Bindeez were supposed to have been coated with nontoxic 1,5-pentanediol, a chemical commonly used in computer printer ink. But that chemical generally sells for three or four times the price of the toxic compound found on the tainted toys, 1,4-butanediol.

[sparks224]

I%u2019m just glad we don%u2019t have those pesky government regulations interfering with the %u201Cfree market%u201D.

[jester188]

MenRscum.. nice buddy... so you like to make your little racist slurs... good for you... you''re a winner... $100 says you look like a little troil doll anyways... bet you feel pretty big sitting behind your computer with a made up name throwing remarks at people...

nice.. your a real winner buddy

[sunseeker6]

What, killing our dogs and cats wasn''t enough? Now they are going after our kids? I call this terrorism!

[kennergirl]

What fu(king irresponsible parents buy this choking hazard toy anyway????

Well, parents who have more than one child at home probably do? Try buying toys for an 11 year old, a 6 year old and a 14 month old that is "safe" for all 3 of them. Impossible. As popular as this toy is I''m surprised more children haven''t been sickened by it. It goes to show you that the outsourcing of goods to China so a company can save a buck and the Chinese are doing the same thing with their products. Using inferior and hazardous materials to "sell" to these companies. I guess it all goes back to the old saying, "You get what you paid for". You want a cheap price than expect less of a product.

[hypnotoad72]

And some people just shoot off their mouths.

Posted by trenticus

Sorry for barging in, but some adumbration to your claim would be much appreciated.

[limestoneman]

The media is getting you all fired up. This is how WWI started. The people on the ship had to sign a waiver saying that they knew they were going into dangerous territory. It''s another one of the world''s big schemes for greed.
www.zeitgiestmovie.com

[bareemperor]

Date-Rape pills for our toddlers?
Add this to the huge list of other poisons shipped to the USA in the last two years:
Baby Einstein poison.
Poison Dog treats.
KB Toys wooden products.
Poisoned cat food.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" flashlights.
Black & Decker reclining chairs.
Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway.
Sky Rangers Park Flyer Radio Control Airplanes explosions.
Mattel Power Wheels toys.
Fisher-Price Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer toys.
Blue Dragon Chinese Stir Fry Vegetables.
Link-N-Lite magnetic light-up puzzles.

Google: ''recalled Chinese''

Change your shopping habits, America!

[trenticus-2009]

The Americans dream while the rest of the people in the world live the dream.

Posted by george2221

+

And some people just shoot off their mouths.

[annia1233]

that was intentional. they are intelligent people. they knew what they were putting on that product. It should be considered an act of war. they sent a troyan horse. they are constantly bombarding us with poisonous things. that is terrorism with a smile. we should smile and stop buying from them.

[wolf563]

All product comming from CHINA should be tested by thier company employees children before being shipped out .When the product order is complete and ready to ship it should have random products from all batches made , tested by the people who are making them before shipping . This country should be band from making and shipping any product for one year to allow time for them to clean up thier act . If it happens again after that all shipments of any kind from this country or other countries with product manufactured in China will be refused . After all it is our children at stake . The profit of a company is not as important as the life of a child .