FIDGET SPINNERS. Fidget spinners are popular these days and are sold along the streets in Davao City for P80 to P100 each. However, the group Ecowaste Coalition warned of the health risks of hand spinners that have not passed quality tests. (Robby Joy D. Salveron/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines–A health and environmental watch group warned the public on Thursday about the potential harm of using the popular fidget spinners that have not passed both quality and safety procedures.
EcoWaste Coalition issued the warning following the reported choking and fire incidents in the U.S. The group claimed the popular hand spinners were banned in Latvia and Luxembourg for “non-compliance” to the European Union’s toy and safety procedures.
In the Philippines, fidget spinners were popular among teenagers after the price dropped from P500 to as low as P20 in malls.
“The big drop in prices will attract more consumers to buy fidget or hand spinners for their young ones to play with. Unfortunately, most of these toys lack the required market authorization from the country’s toy regulator,” Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect said.
The group further explained that in Latvia and Luxembourg, fidget spinners with battery-powered LED modules were “rejected at the border, banned, withdrawn from the market or recalled from end users because of choking hazard.”
“The battery compartments can easily be opened without the use of any tools and the button cells inside are easily accessible.Children might put them in the mouth and swallow them, causing damage to their gastrointestinal tract,” the group warned.
In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating reports from Texas and Oregon of children choking and being rushed to the hospital due to the ingestion of small parts of fidget spinners.
Meanwhile, EcoWaste Coalition pointed out that Republic Act 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, prohibits, among other things, the sale of toy and childcare article (TCCA) products without the proper authorization in the form of TCCA Notifications.
“We searched the FDA website and found that only one company has market authorization for hand spinners for children above three years old. This means that hand spinners being sold by sidewalk vendors and other informal retailers, including those being offered online, have not gone through the FDA’s verification process so their quality and safety cannot be assured,” Dizon said.
“We remind parents to be extra careful when buying popular hand spinners as their popularity does not necessarily mean that these toys are harmless. Please choose age-appropriate toys for your kids that pose no choking, chemical and other safety hazards,” he added. (davaotoday.com)
