Canadian health authorities issued a warning earlier this month about certain balloon blowing kits available on Amazon that “pose a chemical hazard” to users.
The consumer product advisory from Health Canada, published on Dec. 13, said the balloon blowing kits allow children to “form balloons or bubbles by slowly squeezing out a ball of the mixture from the tube and sticking it on the end of the straw.”
They can then blow through the straw and create a bubble.
But a safety concern arises since “blowing the balloons exposes a child to inhaling the vapours” of any solvent mixture present, according to the advisory.
That can lead to some worrisome effects.
“If children blow this type of solvent containing balloon for extended periods they may experience early symptoms of central nervous system depression or dysfunction, including euphoria, hallucinations, dizziness, and difficulties with coordination of voluntary movements,” Health Canada added.
“Prolonged exposure can lead to more serious symptoms, including muscular twitching, unconsciousness, and coma,” the agency cautioned.
Health Canada listed three balloon products that could be found on Amazon in the country and said the alert impacts those items:
- 15 pieces Bubble Ball Toy, Burst-Free Plastic Balloon, Colorful Magic Bubble Glue, Perfect Boys and Girls Gift (ASIN B0CXSTMWMQ)
- 2024 New Safe Magic Bubble Glue Toy Blowing Colorful Bubble Ball Plastic Space Balloon Fashion Accessories (ASIN B0C6THCKSB)
- Safe Magic Bubble Glue Toy Blowing Colorful Bubble Ball Plastic Space Balloon (ASIN B0C54V2QQG)
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ASIN stands for “Amazon Standard Identification Number,” which Amazon uses to label products for purposes such as tracking.
The agency advised consumers who have the products to “immediately stop using them.” Users should also “dispose of the items according to municipal hazardous waste guidelines,” per the alert.
The safety warning comes after a reported 127 units of the impacted products were sold between November 2023 and November 2024 across Canada, according to Toronto.com.
But no injuries from the balloons have been reported to Health Canada.
Anyone impacted by the products “or any other consumer product or cosmetic” were invited to fill out a Health Canada consumer product incident report form.
Health authorities in both Canada and the United States have previously issued warnings about other products sold on Amazon and similar online marketplaces.
Nearly 138,000 Lucid-branded platform beds sold by importer CVB Inc. were recalled in September across the U.S. and Canada, for instance, since they can collapse and present fall and injury risks.
The beds can sag, break, or collapse during use, according to notices from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada. There were 245 known incidents related to the beds in the U.S., resulting in 18 injuries, such as bruises.
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