This week, major e-commerce and big box retailers Amazon, Walmart, and Target announced that they will ban the sale of water beads that are marketed to children. Etsy and AliExpress stated they will prohibit the sale of water beads entirely. This is a major win for child safety advocates and families across the country. Ebay stated that it has prohibited water beads from being sold as toys for the past several years. Walmart stated that it will prohibit the sale of water beads that are marketed for children under nine years. Target announced its decision after Consumer Reports published its story announcing the decision of other retailers.
KID has been working closely with That Water Bead Lady Ashley Haugen and other consumer groups to ban water beads. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-6) recently introduced a bill cosponsored by Reps. Robin Kelly (IL-2) and Brittany Pettersen (CO-7) that would ban the sale of water beads marketed as toys. Call your Congressperson and ask them to cosponsor the Ban Water Beads Act (H.R. 6468). Find your U.S. House Rep.’s contact information here.
Water beads are small super-absorbent polymer crystals that can grow up to 1,500 times their size when placed in liquid. If ingested, inhaled, or inserted in ear canals, water beads absorb bodily fluids and can lead to potentially life-threatening injuries, such as intestinal or bowel obstruction, or lung or ear damage. According to CPSC data, between 2016 and 2022, there were an estimated 7,800 water bead injuries that were treated in hospital emergency departments and at least one death (view CPSC’s infographic). No amount of supervision can keep children safe from water beads. Even if you’re buying them for older kids, the tiny beads can easily spread throughout the home and a younger child may get hold of them. Listen to these moms describe their horrible experiences to fully understand the danger.
Read more about water bead safety and Ashley’s story about her daughter Kipley in our two-part interview, and share our infographic to spread the word about the dangers of water beads.
