A new safety alert is out for a toy that was banned three years ago, but is now back on the market.
Controversial super strong magnet sets were banned in 2014 because they caused many life threatening injuries, especially among children and teens. Now a U.S. federal court has overturned that ban.
“These magnets are so strong that if they are swallowed, they can pull together with enough force to punch holes along different sections of the digestive system,” said Ellen Kunes, Consumer Reports health editor.
That’s what happened to Braylon Jordan back in 2012. He was almost two-years old when he swallowed eight tiny magnets. Their powerful force perforated his intestine. Most of the magnets were surgically removed, but he still gets nearly all of his nutrition intravenously.
Zen Magnets fought the ban and in March 2016 won their case in the U.S. In Nov. 2016 the ban was overturned after the United States Court of Appeals ruled there was insufficient evidence to link magnets to injuries and with proper warnings the magnets don’t pose any danger to consumer. The magnets can once again be legally sold in American stores.
Zen Magnets’ website and packaging both have warnings of fatal intestinal pinching but the founder of Zen Magnets maintains that the magnets are “perfectly safe when properly used”.
But Consumer Reports urges parents to use extreme caution and recommend that you avoid having these magnet sets if there are any children in the home.
Certain products with small, powerful magnets are considered a danger to human health or safety and their sale is prohibited in Canada.
However, when we searched the Zen Magnets website, we discovered an online purchase can be shipped to Canada.
If you had strong magnet sets in the past look for and throw away any magnets that might have gotten loose in your house to protect your children and teens.
