Tiny magnetic balls sold by Walmart recalled; regulators cite 7 dead and thousands hospitalized
The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday recalled small but powerful magnetic balls used as building blocks and stress relievers, citing thousands of hospitalizations and at least seven deaths due to similar products.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday recalled small but powerful magnetic balls used as building blocks and stress relievers, citing thousands of hospitalizations and at least seven deaths due to similar products.
The Relax magnetic balls are sold exclusively online at Walmart in a set of 216 multicolor balls that measure 5 mm apiece. More than 4,200 units are being recalled.
They were sold there from February 2022 through this April and cost $14 to $15, according to the recall notice.
The safety commission said it “estimates 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency departments from 2017 through 2021.”
The commission knows of “seven deaths involving the ingestion of hazardous magnets, including two outside of the United States,” the notice said.
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