Jul 24, 2008 6:12 pm US/Central
Oft-Banned Toy Still Finds Way To Children
Yo-Yo Waterball, Illegal In Several States, Bears Risk Of Strangulation
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
A seemingly innocent new toy has many warning parents about how dangerous it can be.
It's called the "Yo-Yo Waterball," and despite being banned for sale in several states, it's still making it into children's hands with dangerous consequences.
Sydney Blacker, 5, was thrilled when she won a Yo-Yo Waterball toy at a school fair.
"I was swinging it in circles," Sydney said.
Then, the toy's rubber chord wrapped tightly around her neck, leaving her unable to breathe until a friend's father jumped to the rescue.
"He found my daughter, Sydney, blue in the face," said Ellen Blacker, Sydney's mother.
Ellen was even more outraged when she found out that the toy her daughter won is actually illegal to sell in her home state of New Jersey.
"Not only had it been banned, but my daughter was now the 417th victim to be hurt by this toy," she said.
"More than 1200 Yo-Yo Waterballs were taken off the shelves and removed by our investigators," said Jeff Lamm of Consumer Affairs.
Inspections found the dangerous toy still being sold at numerous locations. They were removed, but the crackdown continues only across New Jersey and a handful of other states. The federal government still refuses to recall or ban the toy despite many reports of injuries.
Nearly 300 children had the cord wrap around their head or neck, and 16 of them lost consciousness.
"What is it about our government and this 99 cent toy that we can't ban," Ellen asked.
Although Sydney is only 5, she knows what she'd like to see happen to this toy that's anything but child's play.
"Ban it from all of the world," Sydney said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there is a low but potential risk of strangulation from the Yo-Yo Waterball toy and warn that parents need to exercise caution when children play with this toy.
Approximately 15 million of these toys have been distributed in the United States, selling for between $1 and $5.
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