There have been a series of accidents in which children accidentally swallow toys called "magnet balls," which use powerful magnets.
For this reason, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has decided to regulate the manufacture and sale of balls with a diameter of less than 3 cm and strong magnetic force.
Magnet balls are toys that can be changed into various shapes by attaching strong magnetic balls with a diameter of 3 to 5 mm, and are mainly sold to children.
However, there have been a series of incidents of children accidentally swallowing these balls, and according to the Consumer Affairs Agency, 11 cases have been reported since 2017. Some of them have swallowed balls sticking in their bodies and opening holes in their digestive organs. It means that there are cases where
For this reason, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which has jurisdiction over product safety, held a council on the 30th and decided on a policy to designate magnetic balls as a ``specified product'' based on the law and to regulate their manufacture and sales.
The target is a ball with a diameter of less than about 3 centimeters and a strong magnetic force that may stick to the body if swallowed.
In the future, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will make a cabinet decision to revise related ordinances, and will implement regulations in May this year.
Regarding magnetic balls, the Safety Investigation Committee of the Consumer Affairs Agency has requested that the government implement regulations, etc., saying that there is a fact that they are being sold without labeling the danger of accidental ingestion.