http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL1086834
BEIJING, Nov 10 (Reuters) - China's quality control watchdog said on Saturday initial investigations had found bead toys recently recalled in the United States and Australia contained toxic substances, the Xinhua news agency reported.

U.S. safety officials recalled about 4.2 million Aqua Dots toys this week for possibly containing a "date ****" drug. Australia too announced a ban on the popular toy, sold there in a version called "Bindeez", and Spain also announced a recall.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said the toys, products of Australia-based Moose Enterprises, were manufactured by the Wangqi Product Factory in China's southern city of Shenzhen.

China froze exports of the "Aqua Dots" on Friday and the AQSIQ said on Saturday it had also suspended the toy maker's export licence.

The quality watchdog, battling a string of international recalls and safety scares that have stained the "made-in-China" brand, had promised a swift investigation.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said the Aqua Dots toys contain a chemical, 1,4 butanediol, which can turn toxic if swallowed and cause unconsciousness, earning it notoriety as a "date ****" drug.

"The beads contain an adhesive solvent called "1,4 butylene glycol" that simulates the drug gamma hydroxy if swallowed," Xinhua said.

The toy involves arranging small, multi-coloured beads coated with glue into shapes and then spraying them with water to fix them together. Two American and three Australian children were hospitalised after playing with it. (Writing by Philippa Fletcher; editing by Tim Pearce)

Replying to [kivi]:

Anybody knows what the heck "date rape" is?

Replying to [kivi]:
I’ve seen this news.
"Made in China"

Replying to [Fei Wong]:

There are many good products that are made in China, if not the Chinese economy wold not be where it is today. Now China needs to be its most toughest critic and weed out those manufacturers who only care about a quick buck. It is not the time to deny reality or say others are worse or just as bad.

Replying to [germex]:
You may know the phrase "slipping someone a Mickey" better.

Rohipnol and GBH (I might have that incorrect) are both referred to as Date Rape drugs........ You slip some into a girls drink and the drug has the effect of wanting to make her have sex....... It is a hormonal activator............... It is * with a drug to make the girl a "willing" partner.......... one of the most disgusting things ever known.

The toys being referred to, if I read the articles correctly, have a coating, which when mixed with saliva (ie in a kids mouth) the coating goes thru a chemical reaction which makes it act as the Date Rape drug..... NOT a good thing to have happening to 2-6 year olds!!! 3 kids died in Australia, and hundreds have become very sick.

Replying to [kivi]:
Ya, you are right. As a Chinese person, I just feel and sometimes.
Just like this old saying of China: The more you love it, the more requirement you have.
But I am sure: China will be better and better. Chinese products can be better and better too.

Replying to [kivi]:

Just about everything that we have in America is made in China so its not China to blame. Its the company in China that made the defective product that is to blame.

Replying to [Fei Wong]:

I think that the Chinese government needs to enforce certain minimum quality and safety standards on all items manufactured in China. This will help to protect the consumer both home and abroad as well as help to improve the reputation of Chinese products. It is also important to put a halt to the counterfeiting of name brand products. People will want to trade even more with China if they feel that they are less at risk.

Replying to [Foow]:

Thanks for the explanation! And now that I understand the subject, I fully agree with you: the (intentional) use or application of these drugs is disgusting!

Though the unintentional use doesn't seem to be much more benign either, to say the least. Wonder how this stuff could get into the beads. Or might it have been intentional after all? What is its supposed purpose?

Replying to [germex]:
My limited reading of this suggests that it may have been accidental. The science is out there for this chemical, and certainly shows that when it is mixed with saliva (ie put in the mouth) it can definately react to form the * date drug....... The purpose of the chemical as I understand it (having not seen the actual toy) is that you put the beads on a paper picture (like a coloring book) and then you wet the whole thing and the beads stick to the paper. The chemical is part of the "stickyness" as I understand it. I think that it it in broad terms.

The question comes down to whether or not the factory that decided to use this chemical had done ANY research, fact finding about what might happen when this chemical was used...... As usual everyone will say they had no idea that this was possible.

I can certainly say that if i was the importer of this product I would NOT be thinking that I had to test the product for the potential of that drug being formed.

The simplest answer for toys/ childrens ANY product, is to stop and think to yourself: "What is a child likely to TRY and do with this product, and what testing do I need to do to make sure it is safe?"

Anyone who makes/imports childrens anything needs to make the assumption that the child IS going to try and shove it in their mouth at some point. They need to think that process thru and make changes accordingly.

Replying to [Foow]:

Especially your last paragraph resumes it very well. If it will be in the hands of a kid, it will also be in its mouth. Even teenagers (and some adults) still chew on pencils, etc., much more small kids. If that was the consequence of an goof-up, it was the most stupid one I've ever seen.

Any word about testing, alternatives, etc.?