US, Aussie Officials Yank GHB-Producing Toys

theodp writes "Questioned about concerns over China-made toys, Toys 'R' Us CEO Jerry Storch predicted 'this will be the safest holiday season ever.' Oops. On the same day Storch's interview ran in Fortune, Toys 'R' Us joined other North American and Australian retailers to pull millions of Chinese-made toy bead sets from shelves after scientists found they contain a chemical that when ingested metabolizes into GHB, the date-rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate. Two children in the US and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads."

So...

[Arthur B.]

Where can we buy the beads ?

The Problem With Date Rape

[Anonymous Coward]

The problem with date rape is that first you have to get a girl to go out on a date with you.

sigh. sometimes it sucks to be a nerd.

Too bad...

[Otter]

I'd never heard of these things before yesterday, but it looks like a fantastic toy. Except for, y'know, the coma part. Hopefully they'll reformulate them/

Why pull them off the shelves completely?

[burtosis]

Just a bit of repackaging for the 'Adult' market and I wouldn't bat an eyebrow at seeing these in my spam filter.

Why couldn't they turn into something fun?

[Spazntwich]

Like LSD. It would have been great to see countless kids tripping out with those multicolored beads.

"Wow, Tommy really likes those beads. And that tie-died shirt. Where did he get a Phish CD?!"

Obligatory Onion

[antifoidulus]

Fun Toy Banned Because of Three Stupid Dead Kids [theonion.com]

Re:Why pull them off the shelves completely?

[ODiV]

"bat an eyebrow"

This sounds like a technique worth learning.

Re:WTO

[Barny]

Yeah the WTO is just soo awesome.

Ok, what the hell are you on? Oh right, the beads...

Well that explains Mardi Gras

[Stavr0]

Never understood the correlation between beads and flashing breasts until now ...

GHB doesn't work.

[imuffin]

I used to take it all the time and I never got raped once.

Now it makes sense

[Anonymous Coward]

I finally get the whole rosary beads thing with Catholic Priests.

Re:Too bad...

[MarkGriz]

"Hopefully they'll reformulate them"

Surely they will. No doubt with something much safer... lead perhaps.

Re:Why pull them off the shelves completely?

[SatanicPuppy]

Well, we are talking about the geek market here...At least it's near his eyelashes...He could be batting ear hair or something.

"look mom

[circletimessquare]

i made a colorful portrait of river phoenix in colored beads"

(thump)

Re:So...

[betterunixthanunix]

That's why there is a 99-cents store that sells Chinese toys right next to the downtown bars around here!

Re:Why pull them off the shelves completely?

[Xaoswolf]

Maybe he only has one eyebrow, and it goes the whole way across...

Since it's so large, he may think that he can attract more by batting it?

Re:The Problem With Date Rape

[P3NIS_CLEAVER]

Remember to take the seed out, they can be painful.

Re:maybe it really is the safest toy season

[Rob T Firefly]

It really makes me wonder what all I was exposed to as a kid

I can count on one hand the dozen times unsafe toys made me sick. Thinking that it could have been easily prevented really brings tears to most of my eyes.

Re:maybe it really is the safest toy season

[Ferzerp]

you have 12 fingers on one of your hands?

Re:GHB doesn't work.

[TheMeuge]

I used to take it all the time and I never got raped once.

You just don't remember. You were in a coma when you were violated by most of the party. And yes, it was posted to youtube.

Re:So...

[sm62704]

I'm pretty sure all she was after was money. But there is an even more insidious way these girls get your money.

POLICE WARNING:

Police are warning all men who frequent clubs, parties and local pubs to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink from any woman. Many females use a date rape drug on the market called ..."Beer". The drug is found in liquid form and available anywhere. It comes in bottles, cans, from taps and in large "kegs".

"Beer" is used by female sexual predators at parties and bars to persuade their male victims to go home and have sex with them. A woman needs only to get a guy to consume a few units of "Beer" and then simply ask him home for no strings attached sex. Men are rendered helpless against this approach.

After several "Beers", men will often succumb to the desires to perform sexual acts on horrific looking women whom they would never normally be attracted.

After drinking "Beer", men often awaken with only hazy memories of exactly what happened to them the night before, often with just a vague feeling that "something bad" occurred.

At other times these unfortunate men are swindled out of their life's savings, in a familiar scam known as a "relationship". In extreme cases, the female may even be shrewd enough to entrap the unsuspecting male into a longer term form of servitude and punishment referred to as "marriage". Men are much more susceptible to this scam after "Beer" is administered and sex is offered by the predatory females. Please! Forward this warning to every male you know.

If you fall victim to this "beer" and the women administering it..... There are male support groups where you can discuss the details of your shocking encounter with similarly affected like-minded guys. For the support group nearest you, just look up "Golf Courses" in the phone book.

-mcgrew

Re:Why couldn't they turn into something fun?

[Hoi Polloi]

"I had a 50 bead a day habit by the time I was 5."

Re:maybe it really is the safest toy season

[Anonymous Coward]

* <------ joke

???
.O <------ your head
/|\
/ \

Re:So...

[Znarl]

I love the product review on that website:

"Pros: Ever since we received our aqua dots super studio our 5 year old hasn't stopped playing with it. He has created dozens of unique shapes and designs. Now he's decorating the house with Halloween creations that he made with his aqua dots.

Cons: I keep having to purchase more beads."

Re:So...

[StarvingSE]

Drugged up beads? Mardi Gras is going to be so awsome this year...

Re:Wait: swallowing the beads???!!

[orgelspieler]

There are plenty of 12 mo toys that are interesting enough to keep my 9 mo son entertained and engaged for more than five minutes. Of course, he's just as happy smacking around a can of soup or chewing on the sofa. So maybe his standards are a little low.

Re:Toddlers eat things

[bmo]

"Responsible parenting is one thing, but kids will stick anything in their mouth, and nose."

And anywhere else, for that matter. A Gummi Bear is just the right size to be shoved straight into an ethernet jack.

--
BMO

Re:So...

[l8f57]

See Also this Warning:

HOME DEPOT SCAM!!! PLEASE READ!

A "heads up" for those men who may be regular Home Depot customers.

Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends. Here's how the scam works:

Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the trunk. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look.

When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say "No" and instead ask you for a ride to another Home Depot or Staples. You agree and they get in the back seat.

On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen October 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, & 24th. Also November 1st, 3rd, three times just yesterday and very likely again this coming weekend.

So tell your friends to be careful.

Re:The Problem With Date Rape

[PsychosisBoy]

I can suck to be an altar boy

Too much info! Too much info!

Re:So...

[operagost]

"But, uh, I really don't want my sex-year-old kid injesting *any* drugs, even ones that work great recreationally for young adults."
Freudian slip?

Re:So...

[NMerriam]

"But, uh, I really don't want my sex-year-old kid injesting *any* drugs, even ones that work great recreationally for young adults."
Freudian slip?

He's German, you insensitive clod!