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OTTAWA -
The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, today announced that the
Government of Canada has implemented an immediate ban on the advertisement, sale
and importation of yo-yo type balls and other similar products. This type of
toy, also known as yo-yo balls, yo-balls, water yo-yo balls, has been prohibited
under the Hazardous Products Act due to the unacceptable risk of
strangulation to children.
In May of this year, Health Canada advised
importers, distributors and retailers of the serious dangers associated with
these toys, and requested an immediate voluntary halt to the handling and
distribution of these products. The toys pose a high risk of strangulation and
have been banned in the United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Brazil and
Australia. Health Canada has received in excess of twenty reported incidents
involving these products and in the United Kingdom, eight incidents of near-miss
strangulation were reported within one month.
'The safety of the children of Canada is our
primary responsibility. Any fun that can be derived from these yo-yo type balls
is overshadowed by the possibility of strangulation, due to the nature of the
toy and the material that it is made of, ' said Minister McLellan.
The inexpensive toy is made of a soft,
extremely pliable plastic and consists of a short, but highly stretchable,
plastic cord that has a liquid-filled ball-like object at one end and a finger
loop at the other. The toy comes in many colours and designs, e.g. spiked ball,
eyeball, happy face, insect and flashing.
Health Canada is asking Canadians to safely
discard any of these toys that they may have. For further information, contact
your nearest Health Canada Product Safety Office:
- Burnaby (604) 666-5003
- Edmonton (780) 495-2626
- Calgary (403) 292-4677
- Winnipeg (204) 983-5490
- Saskatoon (306) 975-4502
- Toronto (416) 973-4705
- Hamilton (905) 572-2845
- Quebec (418) 648-4327
- Montreal (514) 283-5488
- Longueuil (450) 646-1353
- Halifax (902) 426-8300
- Moncton (506) 851-6638
- St. John's (709) 772-4050
Photographs of products
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