Dec. 12 (UPI) — After increasing pressure from lawmakers and health advocates, Amazon, Walmart and Target all agreed Tuesday to stop selling water beads, marketed to children, by the end of the year.
Amazon was the first to announce its new policy, saying it would voluntarily stop selling the tiny balls — made out of absorbent polymer material — by Dec. 22.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, water beads can expand to 100 times their initial size and weight when exposed to liquid, posing extreme health risks if swallowed.
“Water beads look harmless — almost like candy — but can be deadly to babies and small children if ingested,” the CPSC’s website says.
An estimated 7,800 water bead injuries were reported by emergency departments throughout the United States between 2016 and 2022, the CPSC said.
“In the interest of safety, Amazon will no longer allow the sale of water beads that are marketed to children, including as toys, art supplies or for sensory play,” an Amazon spokesperson told Consumer Reports on Tuesday.
“We work hard to ensure the products offered in our store are safe, and we have teams dedicated to developing and updating our policies, evaluating listings and continuously monitoring our store to prevent unsafe and noncompliant products from being listed,” the online retail giant added.
A number of lawmakers have called for a ban on water beads, including Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., who introduced legislation called the Ban Water Beads Act that would direct the CPSC to ban the product for children.
“Glad to hear Amazon, Walmart and others will stop selling water bead toys, but we still have more work to do,” Pallone wrote Tuesday night in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“I’m continuing to build support for my Ban Water Beads Act to prohibit these dangerous products from being marketed for kids,” Pallone added.
Glad to hear Amazon, Walmart and others will stop selling water bead toys, but we still have more work to do. I’m continuing to build support for my Ban Water Beads Act to prohibit these dangerous products from being marketed for kids. https://t.co/F9q6VI71U8— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) December 13, 2023
Walmart also announced Tuesday that it will ban the sale of any water bead toys and crafts, marketed to children under the age of 9, as Target announced a similar decision to remove water beads from its store shelves and online listings by next week.
“At Target, our top priority is the safety of our guests,” Emily Bisek, a Target spokesperson, said in a statement. “Given growing safety concerns, we will no longer sell water beads marketed to children ages 12 and under.”
“Water beads are a nightmare for parents: they look harmless and fun, but they can be deadly,” warned William Wallace, associate director of safety policy for Consumer Reports.
“I have heard heartbreaking stories from parents whose children ingested water beads and suffered horrendous consequences, including grave internal injuries, lifelong health impacts and even death,” added CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric.
“If ingested, inhaled or inserted in ear canals, water beads absorb bodily fluids and can lead to potentially life-threatening injuries, such as intestinal or bowel obstruction, lung or ear damage,” said Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger. “No amount of supervision can keep children safe from these tiny beads.”
