Fidget spinners pose choking hazards – environment group

MANILA, Philippines – An environmental advocacy group warned  the public about choking hazards posed by fidget spinners, a stress-reliever toy.

“Fidget spinners are fun to play with. But their small parts, particularly the bearings and bushings, may not be tightly secured, can come off and get ingested by kids,” Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect coordinator, said in a statement Saturday, May 20.

“To be on the safe side, we advise parents not let their kids play with toys with small parts, which, if swallowed, may obstruct the flow of air into the lungs and prevent breathing,” he added. (READ: Buy safe toys for the holidays – DOH)

The group issued their statement after Britton Joniec, a 10-year-old girl from Houston, Texas, had surgery to remove her fidget spinner’s bushing inside her esophagus on May 13.

The incident was posted by her mother, Kelly Rose, on Facebook to warn other parents about the hazard.

The group reminds parents to only purchase toys that have gone through the verfication process of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines, the lead regulatory agency for toys.

“Fidget spinners that do not have valid TCCA product notifications would be illegal to sell,” the EcoWaste Coalition said.

According to the FDA, toys should have the following on their label:

• LTO number issued by FDA
• Age grade
• Cautionary statements/warning 
• Instructions
• Item/model number of the product
• Complete manufacturer details

The FDA reminded consumers to avoid giving toys with small parts to children, especially those under the age of 3.

Choking is a leading cause of death among children, according to a World Health Organization report in 2008.– Rappler.com