US Regulator Warns Consumers To Stop Using Doraemon Toy Magnets After 7 Deaths

During the final stretch before Christmas, consumers may be putting in their final orders on Amazon. However, a warning was sent out yesterday by the U.S. consumer protection authority alerting consumers to immediately stop using the magnetic ball sets by the Chinese seller Doraemon. They have asked for a recall of the product after its loose magnets caused seven deaths from consumption.

The toy, which was sold on Amazon for around $25, included a set of multicolored magnets in the form of a cube packaged in a clear plastic case in a portable tin storage box, according to Reuters.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) concluded that the Doraemon Dovfun Suit Magnetic Ball Sets consisted of one or more magnets that were smaller and more powerful than approved under federal toy regulation standards.

The CPSC said an estimated 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency departments from 2017 through 2021. It has also become aware of seven deaths, including two outside the U.S.

In a statement, the CPSC said, “When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract to each other, or to another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system.”

The regulator said Doraemon was given a notice of violation; however, the seller has not agreed to recall these magnetic ball sets or offered compensation to consumers. The seller was also not able to be reached in order to get a comment.

It appears that these high-strength magnetic ball sets can be highly lethal and have been for years.

In 2017, a similar hazard alert was sent out by Action 9’s investigator Jason Stoogenke regarding the Iraza 512-Piece Magnetic Stone 5mm Magnetic Ball Sets when an 11-year-old boy from Ballantyne reported the hazard after swallowing a piece of a magnetic set. The boy said he was looking at the magnets when one popped off and went down his throat. He also shared his X-ray with Stoogenke, showing the ball lodged inside him.

Earlier this month, the CPSC also warned about other brands with small magnetic balls linked to deaths, including XpressGoods. The agency says if you swallow these high-strength magnets, they can attract to each other inside your body. That can then lead to tears, blockages, or other complications.

The CPSC has urged consumers to stop using the magnetic ball sets immediately, take them away from children, and dispose of them.