Millions of dangerous toy dart guns are being pulled from store shelves after two Midwestern boys choked to death on plastic darts.
Officials say a 9-year-old from Chicago and a 10-year-old from Milwaukee suffocated after the one-inch, soft-plastic darts slipped into their throats and the small suction cup part of the dart cut off their breathing.
"This particular product raises some real concerns. Its very shape and size makes it an ideal thing for choking a child cutting off the airways," said Nancy Cowles, the Executive Director for the non-profit Kids in Danger.
The “Autofire” toy dart set was sold exclusively at Family Dollar stores nationwide for around $1.50 from September 2005 through January 2009. With the help of CPSC, they’ve agreed to voluntarily recall of about 1.8 million of the toys.
The darts were made in China and imported by Henry Gordy International in New Jersey. CPSC says they’re only working with Family Dollar Store to get the darts off the market because Henry Gordy refused to recall the dart set.
“The CPSC asked us to voluntarily issue a recall for this product that we haven’t sold in our stores in more than a year,” Family Dollar spokesman Josh Braverman said in an e- mail to Bloomberg News “We agreed as way to ensure that the customers who purchased the product were aware of the potential issues.”
The CPSC advises people to immediately take the dart gun sets away from children and get rid of them. Family Dollar will offer a refund.
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