Buckyballs and Zen Magnets: Let's Nanny the Poop out of Them

Apparantly, Buckyballs are banned in the US:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/buckyballs-banned-severe-safety-concerns-173914700.html

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a ban on the sale of Buckyballs, an "educational toy" consisting of a handful of small, tiny magnets.

Now Zen Magnets may be banned by the US:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12243.html

In an effort to prevent children from suffering further harm, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff filed an administrative complaint today against Zen Magnets LLC, of Denver, Colo., alleging that their products contain defects in the design, packaging, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury to the public.

Why isn't the CPSC suing the neglectful parents? What about the tweens and teenagers that are swallowing them?

For me, this is more over-governance. Stupid, idiotic, nanny-state, bullshit.

Am I wrong? Am I just a grumpy old man that thinks the government is wiping my butt when I don't want them to?

Really no different than the gob'ment banning lead paint covered toys from China. Did you cry over that?

Yeah, that all controlling nanny state with its one ban in the last decade. Where will it end? In another ten years we might lose the right to sell one other mildly unsafe toy.

I tend to think the designers will take this to court and end up with Buckyballs (awful, pointlessly confusing name btw) reclassified as a different type of toy with some extra warning labels.

I dont think it was ment for kids in the first place? Does it actually say that? So does this mean that all kinetic art forms are banned as well? A lot of things are banned yet people still find ways to sell them and children still finds ways to get hurt.

Originally posted by Robtard
Really no different than the gob'ment banning lead paint covered toys from China. Did you cry over that?

Small toys

Poisonous toys

Yup, exactly the same. Glad you cleared that up for me.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Yeah, that all controlling nanny state with its one ban in the last decade. Where will it end? In another ten years we might lose the right to sell one other mildly unsafe toy.

You're right: the US has only banned ONE thing in the last decade (2000-2010) and my overall gripe has nothing to do with the general idea of how much of a nanny state the US (and the UK) are becoming.

And because Ush has required it, that was all sarcasm.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
I tend to think the designers will take this to court and end up with Buckyballs (awful, pointlessly confusing name btw) reclassified as a different type of toy with some extra warning labels.

This warning label isn't enough?

I thought "death" was a pretty big deal. I could be wrong.

Originally posted by dadudemon
Apparantly, Buckyballs are banned in the US:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/buckyballs-banned-severe-safety-concerns-173914700.html

Now Zen Magnets may be banned by the US:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12243.html

Why isn't the CPSC suing the neglectful parents? What about the tweens and teenagers that are swallowing them?

For me, this is more over-governance. Stupid, idiotic, nanny-state, bullshit.

Am I wrong? Am I just a grumpy old man that thinks the government is wiping my butt when I don't want them to?

Hey man Pot is banned, so why not?

Originally posted by Stoic
Hey man Pot is banned, so why not?

That is actually one of the "nanny-state" items I had in mind.

Millions of children in America scrape their knees on the sidewalk every year.

Let's ban sidewalks!

Thousands of people die each year due to Alcoholic drinks. Let's ban alcohol!

100,000+ trampoline related injuries occur each year. Let's ban trampolines.

30,000+ car deaths occur each year in the US. Let's ban cars.

0 deaths occur each year from Anabolic Steroids. Let's un-ban recreational use.

Originally posted by dadudemon
Small toys

Poisonous toys

Yup, exactly the same. Glad you cleared that up for me.

Both are harmful when swallowed. You're welcome now.

Super-powered magnets are not children's toys, though.

Says above these are marketed as "educational toys", hence the ban.

Originally posted by dadudemon
You're right: the US has only banned ONE thing in the last decade (2000-2010) and my overall gripe has nothing to do with the general idea of how much of a nanny state the US (and the UK) are becoming.

The part of the government that was responsible for this ban has only banned this one thing in the last 11 years. I'd gripe about how intellectually lazy it is to homogenize government into a single malevolent entity but I assume you're aware you're doing that.

They aren't, though. They're marketed as being for adults and that they need to be kept away from children.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
I'd gripe about how intellectually lazy it is to homogenize government into a single malevolent entity but I assume you're aware you're doing that.

That's a strawman.

I have not painted the government with an all-encompassing brush using the paint labeled "Malevolence."

Originally posted by Peach
Super-powered magnets are not children's toys, though.

Originally posted by Peach
They aren't, though. They're marketed as being for adults and that they need to be kept away from children.

The voice of reason. I think the parents should be held more responsible. If it can be shown that the parents did not take proper precautions with these "toys", then they should be charged criminally or civilly (not sure why civil charges would be necessary unless it was to recoup medical costs or to fine the parents?). They would if it were guns, wouldn't they? They would with poison? So why not another toy? I guess it is due to these magnets not being nearly as deadly as the others I mentioned...

Reasonable care/"duty of care (to borrow from tort)" should be taken by parents. The government should not remove rights or remove access in cases like these.

so, the ban is because they have the wrong age range on the package?

would they be allowed to sell it if they just said "not safe for children under 14"?

The packaging - and website - is covered in warnings stating that they're not for kids and that they're not toys.

And yes the warnings were on the website before this happened.

So it's not even that, because it's clearly stated all over that these are not toys for kids.

Originally posted by Oliver North
so, the ban is because they have the wrong age range on the package?

would they be allowed to sell it if they just said "not safe for children under 14"?

That's what I was wondering.

Also, they look pretty cool, I want one...

Originally posted by Peach
The packaging - and website - is covered in warnings stating that they're not for kids and that they're not toys.

And yes the warnings were on the website before this happened.

So it's not even that, because it's clearly stated all over that these are not toys for kids.

what is the ban for then? like, I've read those articles DDM linked, but it is really confusing to me...

Originally posted by Bardock42
Also, they look pretty cool, I want one...

ya, maybe it is that "want what you can't have" thing, but magnets are amazing

Originally posted by Oliver North
what is the ban for then? like, I've read those articles DDM linked, but it is really confusing to me...

Apparently the BuckyBalls magnets have been connected to a large portion of incidents where a child swallowed a magnet and came to harm. Given that there are already warning labels and its not marketed to kids I have trouble seeing the creators not making progress when they challenge the ban.