What toys are discontinued and why

Toys are interesting and extremely fun for the kids. Unfortunately, besides interesting ones, they can also be dangerous, especially if manufacturers do not comply with the EU's Toys Quality Standards (Directive 2009/48 EC).

What toys are discontinued and why?

According to a report from the European Commission published in 2018, toys are in the top 3 of dangerous products found and withdrawn from the European market. The report also said that out of over 2000 reports received for dangerous products, 31% were for dangerous toys.

The only way to deal with the situation after receiving the reports is that, the dangerous products are withdrawn from the market and their production and sale in the EU banned.

Similar checks were also carried out in Bulgaria and, after violations were established, dangerous products were withdrawn from the market. Last year, 315 inspections of Dangerous Toys were carried out by DAMNT and 38 products were found that bear no CE marking or have no Bulgarian instruction.

DAMNT has withdrawn potentially dangerous toys from the market such as a lighter, a mallet, a baby rattle, and more. The toy lighter looks exactly like a lighter, but it is filled with a sweet liquid that kids love a lot. Unfortunately, the toy looks so much like a real lighter that the danger of children being injured by confusing one item for the other is quite high.

The three-wheeled three-wheeler, designed for children from 2 to 5 years old, is easy to rotate, and the rattle creates a risk of suffocation for children as its parts are easily broken.

All products withdrawn from the market are manufactured in third countries such as China, where EU rules on the sale of toys within the European Union continues to be disregarded.

The 10 most dangerous toys of all time

The problem with dangerous toys is not only in our country and in the EU, but all over the world. That is why we have prepared a short list of the most dangerous toys of all time that have been discontinued.

What toys are discontinued and why?

Cabbage Patch Dolls

When they hit the market, Cabbage Patch caused a real furore among little girls, and mothers and dads lined up in long queues in front of the shops, just to buy this doll. What was different about the Cabbage Patch dolls that kids liked so much? Well, they could "feed" on plastic food. They really "chewed" and "swallowed" the food that was fed to them.

The problem was that their mechanical jaws had no stopping mechanism and made no distinction between plastic food and the fingers or hair of the child. The dolls came to the market in the late 80's and were withdrawn and discontinued in the mid 90's after several incidents involving little girls.

Fingerprint Kit - CSI

The toy is based on the iconic American crime scene series. There was a special powder and brushes in the kit with which the children could take prints. The problem was that the powder contained asbestos.

The Environmental Expert Group, which responded to the hazardous toy reports received, found that 7% tremolite was found in the "fingerprint powder" - one of the most dangerous forms of asbestos, which is one of the causes of cancers.

The toy was withdrawn from the market after the mercury-based organization of asbestos-related illnesses filed a lawsuit against Consumer Products.

Magnetix construction kits

Kids love to build things with the help of small plastic pieces that connect. The Magnetix construction kit was also interesting for kids but there was a problem. The small plastic elements on the set had magnets that fell off and were easily consumed by the children. When magnets are ingested and entrapped in the human body, they do not pass through the digestive system. They connect to each other, forming a large mass that can twist the intestines and disrupt the blood supply to vital organs, which can lead to death in a few hours.

This happened to 22 month old Kenny Sweet, who in 2005 absorbed several magnets from a construction kit that led to his death. Initially, the toy maker claimed that "there is no evidence to suggest that Kenny's death was due to the magnets from the toy," but in 2006 he was forced to admit that at least 34 children were injured as a result of the toy being swallowed, and the product was discontinued.

Aqua Dots

This fun toy came in the market in 2007 and the kids really loved it. Aqua Dots is a bunch of small, colourful beads that kids can arrange in colours and make shapes of different designs. After arranging them, they can fill the beads with water and they stick together.

In order to attach, the beads were covered with glue, which turned out to contain chemicals that when wet become "gamma" hydroxybutyrate, also known as GHB or a "rapist drug".

When playing with the beads, the children began to vomit and some of them went into a coma. The Canadian and Australian toy makers initially did not admit guilt, but after a huge amount of reports on the dangerous effects on children, the production of this toy stopped.

One year after the production of Aqua Dots was halted, Canadian manufacturer Spin Master removed the hazardous chemicals in the adhesive, rebranded the brand and the toy was back in the market.

Sky Dancers

The Sky Dancers were released in 1994 and had quickly become one of children's favourite toys. The dolls were beautiful Fairy Flyers with wings that had a launching base. When the base of the doll is pressed, it spreads its wings and shoots itself up into the air.

Unfortunately, the speed with which the dolls launch was very high and no one could predict where they would be heading and where they would fall. The inability to control the speed and range of flight in the Sky Dancers caused many injuries to children such as broken teeth, injuries to the eyes, bruises, and more. The Sky Dancers were discontinued in 2000.

Remotely operated ToyR'Us helicopter

When it came to the market, this toy was cheap and peoples suspicion arose. It turned out that the toy breaks into parts only seconds after it flies in the air, its battery explodes, does not fly "straight", etc.

The Sky Rangers Park Flyer, which came on the market in 2007 but was quickly discontinued because its battery exploded.

Creepy Crawlers Kids Ovens

In the 1960s, kids’ electric ovens hit the market. The toys were no different from real baking ovens except for their size and they could even be baked in. The problem was that the toy oven could heat to 600 degrees, and as you might guess, it resulted in many burned fingers leading to a ban on the production and sale of the baby ovens.

Over the years, other similar toy ovens have come in the market, which are also banned as they heat from 300 to 350 degrees, leading to burns and injuries to children.

Chemical Kit - Professor Wacko's Exothermic Exuberance

The chemical kit was designed for children of 10+ years and aimed to educate and familiarize them with the heat and fire generated by a chemical reaction. Unfortunately, despite the educational goals it created, handling the kit caused several home fires and dozens of burned hands, which is why it was discontinued in 1994.

Outdoor darts

This toy is extremely dangerous and although its manufacturers have so far managed to find a loophole in the law and not stop it from manufacturing, it has so far caused over 6,000 injuries. The toy resembles ordinary darts but in contrast it is played outdoors. On the ground, hoops are placed and players throw large arrows with sharp metal spikes in them.

The arrows are not only large and heavy but have really sharp spikes that are dangerous not only to children but also to adults. This toy continues to be sold because its manufacturer has simply added to the packaging that "the game is for adults only". So far, three children have been killed by this toy and an 11-year-old child is in a coma.

Gilbert U - 238 Atomic Energy Laboratory

This is probably one of the most dangerous toys of all time. The Atomic Energy Laboratory was a toy created in the early 1950s as "the most sophisticated nuclear energy kit ever produced". The kit contained several samples of radiation ores, including a sample of uranium - 238, a set of instruments for detecting radiation, and monitoring the decay process. The toy was discontinued when it became clear that the children could absorb radioactive substances.

We have presented to you only a few of the all-time- banned hazardous toys, but even from this few list it is clear why quality and safety controls for toys need to be tightened.

And before we leave...

If you have young children, be careful when buying toys for them. To ensure that they are safe for children, make sure that it is CE marked, and the name of the manufacturer and the age of the child for which the toy is intended are on the label.

Do not buy non-English products that are offered at suspiciously low prices.

Shop from toy stores you know are safe. Always buy toys manufactured by brands you know are safe and have the CE mark.

If you find a problem with the toy, immediately notify the Consumer Protection Commission, as they are obliged to inspect the product.