So it appears that our lovely government agency CPSC has ordered another ban of the popular adult magnetic toy Buckyballs. This comes on the heels of a 2010 ban and recall of the product that resulted in the attachment of a warning label stating rather plainly that the product isn't intended for anyone under the age of 13 and that swallowing the magnets can be harmful or fatal.
But, apparently parents continue to let their toddlers play with these magnets, and toddlers continue to swallow them. (It should be noted that the CPSC doesn't cite actual medical reports which seems dubious at best.) So, the CPSC has issued a voluntary ban on sales of the product stating that, in spite of the company's cooperation with regards to corrective labeling, there is no other remedy as children (and supposedly teens) continue to be injured by the magnets. Never mind that food-related choking hazards are more common than that of Buckyballs-related hazards; obviously, the only remedy is to punish all consumers, including those who don't have children.
Yeah, fantastic.
Interestingly, the CPSC's notice doesn't just apply to Buckyballs. Other companies, including Zen Magnets, (who have, as of this writing, never received noticed that their products have been involved in ingestion-related injuries) have received notices, too, and have had their products pulled from store shelves. (Petition available here.)
Now, it seems to me that this is a consequence of combined stupidity and lack of adult supervision. If kids are ingesting these things or choking on them, maybe parents should keep them out of reach? I mean, holy cow, how did our generation(s) manage to make it into our teens without dying from all these "hazards?!" Tiny magnets certainly aren't new...