Take it off the shelves! 65 people have been injured by "creative toys" on Amazon

According to foreign media reports, the UK National Health Service (NHS) has called for a ban on the sale of magnetic " tongue piercings " toys that are popular on TikTok because of the risk of accidental swallowing, and there are now at least 65 victims.

But as of now, there are still a large number of merchants selling " tongue piercings" on Amazon UK . They are colorful and usually sold in wholesale form, with a price generally around £10.

It is reported that this magnetic "tongue stud" toy is deeply loved by young people and children who pursue individuality, and its cumulative playback volume on TikTok has exceeded 400 million times.

Currently, magnetic "tongue piercings" are classified as "creative toys". In this crazy prank, people only need to place two magnetic balls on both sides of the tongue to create a visual effect of a pierced tongue ( tiny magnets used to create fake tongue piercings ) . However, such behavior is dangerous because these magnetic balls are different from traditional magnets. They have strong magnetism and a small diameter of less than 6 mm, which can be easily swallowed.

According to the NHS , swallowing the tiny magnets can cause a buildup in the intestines, cutting off the blood supply and posing a life-threatening risk within hours. In just three months, the toys have sent at least 65 children to hospital .

A British mother named Faye Elizabeth said that her 13-year-old daughter saw videos such as magnet "tongue stings " on TikTok and imitated them. As a result, she swallowed 15 small magnet balls and underwent emergency surgery to remove her appendix and part of her intestine , leaving a six- inch scar .

This is not an isolated case. A pair of 18-month-old twins also accidentally swallowed this toy. Fortunately, the surgery was very successful and they have recovered. But another little boy is not so lucky. According to Worcester News in the UK, an 11-year-old boy, Ellis Tripp, is still struggling with the "deadly" magnet ball in the hospital.

It is worth noting that most of the injured are children. According to NHS reports , the proportion of children and teenagers in TikTok users is increasing. They are not mentally mature and are easily attracted by popular things on the Internet and imitate them.

In fact, as early as the beginning of May, the NHS issued a safety risk warning for such toys. In view of a number of safety incidents, the pediatric surgeon and national clinical director for children and adolescents of the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom (Professor Simon Kenny) hopes to ban the sale of magnetic "tongue stud" toys.

The British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) also said: We believe that the law should be changed so that such products can only be classified as toys if they comply with strict toy safety regulations .

We would like to remind all merchants who sell such toys to be prepared to remove them from the shelves to avoid causing more safety accidents.

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