Recent news reports have highlighted the danger posed by high-powered magnets often sold as toys. These magnets are small enough that they can be swallowed by young children. In some cases, even teenagers have been shown to swallow the items, as some use the magnets to mimic tongue piercings but then accidentally ingest the product.
The big problem is that the magnets, if more than one is swallowed, can attract to one another internally. Should this occur, they could block or perforate the intestines or stomach, causing a host of medical complications that might require surgery to correct.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has grown increasingly concerned about the issue and sought to bar the sale of these magnets by retailers. Zen Magnets and a company called Maxfield & Oberton initially fought the measure, but now Zen Magnets is left to fight it by themselves.
That’s because Maxfield & Oberton has vowed to cease selling the Buckyballs magnet product beginning today. They join 11 other companies that acquiesced to the requests of the CPSC. With so many companies complying with the directive, our hope is that the hundreds of injurious incidents that have reportedly occurred in the past couple years can be reduced drastically.