Gary D. Finch

BAN DANGEROUS YO-YO WATERBALLS

     I believe that one of my responsibilities as an Assemblyman is to ensure that parents have the information and tools they need to protect their children, particularly when faced with a clear danger.  A popular toy that is currently on the market, yo-yo waterballs, has the potential to lead to disastrous results when played with by children.

     Yo-yo waterballs are liquid-filled balls with an elastic bungee-like cord attached to it with a small finger loop at the end that allows children to throw the ball, stretch the cord and bounce it back like a yo-yo.  Since 2003, consumer safety agencies have received numerous complaints from parents who have reported various injuries involving the toy.

     The majority of these complaints stem from the bungee cord becoming wrapped around the necks of children.  Lacerations and eye injuries are also among the injuries that have been reported. 

     Recently, a five-year-old girl from the Rochester area was nearly strangled by the toy’s long elastic cord.  Similar to other choking incidents involving yo-yo waterballs, the cord became wrapped around the child’s neck after she had been twirling it above her head.  The cord was wrapped so tightly that her father, a pediatrician, had to use a pair of scissors to cut it.

     The New York State Consumer Protection Board has issued two warnings calling the toy a serious hazard to children.  The Board tested the liquid contents of the toy and discovered that it has a strong gasoline odor.  Consumer Reports rated the toy as “not acceptable,” stating that it poses significant safety concerns.

     If you handle one of these toys, you sense immediately how risky it is.  Not only are the ball and bungee cord very elastic and quite long, the “finger” ring can also be stretched out so it could fit over a small child’s head.  And the “water” in the waterball is actually a heavy, petroleum-based substance that could be a threat if eaten.

     Even some toy distributors agree that the toy is dangerous and have labeled it as unsafe for children under eight years of age.  Some retailers such as Toys R Us have voluntarily stopped selling the yo-yo waterballs.  The State Consumer Protection Board estimated that 11 million to 15 million of the toys have been sold in the United State in the past year.  It is my wish that not one more finds its way into a child’s hand.

     To date, yo-yo waterballs have been banned in Illinois, and Massachusetts and New Jersey have issued warnings. 

     Parents should not be deceived into thinking that these yo-yo waterballs are harmless toys.  In fact, they are quite dangerous and should not be sold in this State.  We must keep these hazardous toys out of the hands of our children.  That’s why I am co-sponsoring bi-partisan legislation that will soon be introduced in the Assembly that would prohibit the sale, importation, manufacturing or distribution of the yo-yo waterballs in New York State.  

     The legislative process can take some time.  In the meantime, I call on toy stores, supermarkets, and other retailers that carry this dangerous toy to immediately remove them from store shelves.  The safety of our children cannot wait.

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