2A:65B-1 Findings, declarations relative to sale of Yo-Yo Waterballs.
1.The Legislature hereby finds and declares that:
a.Yo-Yo Waterballs, also known as water yo-yos, are inexpensive, easily accessible toys that pose a strangulation hazard and threaten the health of children;
b.Yo-Yo Waterballs are banned in France, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Australia, Brazil, and Canada, and Germany and New Zealand have issued warnings concerning Yo-Yo Waterballs;
c.The New York State Consumer Protection Board has issued two warnings calling Yo-Yo Waterballs serious hazards to children, and the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation calls Yo-Yo Waterballs a great risk to children;
d."Consumer Reports" magazine rated Yo-Yo Waterballs as "not acceptable" in its December, 2003 issue;
e.World Against Toys Causing Harm labeled Yo-Yo Waterballs as one of the "Ten Worst Toys of 2003";
f.On July 2, 2003, a petition from New York's Empire State Consumer Association reported that the fluid inside Yo-Yo Waterballs is toxic and flammable;
g.A report of the United States Public Interest Research Group dated November, 2004 lists Yo-Yo Waterballs as a strangulation hazard;
h.The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that Yo-Yo Waterballs pose a potential risk of strangulation;
i.In addition, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that, as of November 15, 2005, Yo-Yo Waterballs were responsible for 405 reported health incidents, 290 of which were coded as causing "suffocation or strangulation";
j.Of those 290 incidents, at least 52 resulted in serious breathing difficulties that rendered the child unconscious and lifeless after suffering from a lack of oxygen or broken blood vessels;
k.The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 24 children reported allergic reactions to the fluid used in Yo-Yo Waterballs, which has caused some to experience trouble breathing; and
l.In spite of evidence concerning the danger to children caused by Yo-Yo Waterballs, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has refused repeated attempts towards banning these dangerous toys.
L.2007, c.224, s.1.
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Last modified: October 11, 2016