The Japanese government has announced measures to regulate small toy items such as magnets and expanding beads often mistakenly ingested by kids, from June.
The Japanese government has moved to ban two types of toys that have been mistakenly ingested by children in a number of incidents, calling them “tiny time bombs”.
As reported in The Mainichi, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida passed a decree on May 16th to ban the production and sale of magnetic toys and beads that expand when saturated, which do not meet international standards. These toys are seen as capable of causing serious accidents if swallowed, before adults have time to notice.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will revise its ordinances accordingly to regulate toys which do not meet the criteria for the ban, such as by their size or degree of magnetism, from June 19th this year.
Powerful magnetic pieces measuring 3-5mm are often sold in large quantity sets as tiny balls and cubes which can be stuck together to create various shapes. Meanwhile, beads that expand as they absorb water can quickly enlarge from several times to several tens of times their original diameter. If ingested, these toys carry serious risks. The magnetic toys can sandwich internal organs and tear holes, while expanded water beads can become stuck in the intestines, causing a blockage.
Japan is not the only country to have highlighted the dangers of such items, which have attracted attention globally and raised calls for more stringent safety measures to be applied to these specific items. In the UK, the BTHA has long campaigned for the control of unsafe and non-compliant toys and called on the government to step in to legislate the ‘wild west’ of safety. The industry body has recently raised concerns with members about products that use super absorbent polymer (SAP) beads.
In Japan, the products which could potentially pose danger to the lives or physical wellbeing of consumers are defined by a government decree as “specified products” based on the Consumer Product Safety Act, and any items in this category that do not conform to standards are not allowed to display METI’s product safety (PS) mark, and banned from sale. The magnetic toys and absorbent beads will be added to 10 products currently designated under this law.
