"Date Rape Drug" Aqua Dots Were on Must-Have Wish Lists

Aqua Dots toys, which were recalled because the coating has a chemical that causes a comatose akin to a "date rape drug."

Photo: CPSC

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Toys Wishes magazine called the Aqua Dots Super Studio "one of the most innovative activity sets" to hit the market in a long time when it listed it among the 12 best toys of 2007, according to CNN Money.

Wal-Mart had also reportedly listed Aqua Dots products among the 12 top-selling toys since April.

"Kids can use the translucent, multicolored beads to create cool designs, or they can follow the templates to make their own patterns," CNN Money wrote.

"After the design is complete, spray with water and the dots seem to magically adhere."

That final step is the one that is now causing worry among parents across the United States.

More than 4 million Chinese-made Aqua Dots beads have been recalled by distributor Spin Master because the chemical in the coating can cause vomiting, seizures, or respiratory depression, or send kids into a comatose state akin to the state induced by the "date rape drug."

At least two children have suffered severe vomiting and then have become comatose from ingesting the beads, a 20-month-old boy and a second child whose age wasn't provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Both were hospitalized.

The toy is described by the commission as a "craft kit that allows children to create various multi-dimensional designs using small colored beads. The beads fuse together when sprayed with water. The recall applies to all models of Aqua Dots. The product is available in various different kits with accessories such as a drying fan, applicator pen, design templates for the beads, and spray bottle. The product is labeled for ages 4+."

It was sold by mass merchandisers nationwide between April and November 2007 for between $17 and $30.

Contact Spin Master at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Website at aquadotsrecall.com.

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