WASHINGTON — The asphyxiation deaths of two boys prompted the government Monday to announce the recall of 1.8 million toy dart gun sets.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said a 9-year-old boy in Chicago and a 10-year-old boy in Milwaukee died after they chewed on the one-inch, soft-plastic darts, which slipped into their throats. The small suction cup part of the dart cut off their breathing.
The dart gun sets were sold nationwide at Family Dollar stores and were imported by Henry Gordy International in New Jersey.
The CPCS in cooperation with Family Dollar Stores Inc., of Charlotte, N.C., is announced the voluntary recall of 1.8 million toy dart gun sets, due to an aspiration hazard. CPSC and Family Dollar received reports of two asphyxiation deaths involving a 9-year-old boy in Chicago, Ill. and a 10-year-old boy in Milwaukee, Wis.
If a child places the soft, pliable plastic toy dart in his/her mouth, the toy can be inhaled into the throat and prevent the child from breathing.
The toy dart guns, imported by Henry Gordy International Inc., of Plainfield, N.J., were sold exclusively at Family Dollar stores. Family Dollar is working cooperatively with CPSC to announce this recall because Henry Gordy International has refused to recall the toy dart gun sets.
The “Auto Fire” toy target set is sold with either an orange and yellow toy gun (item #P238) or a blue and yellow toy gun (item #9328), eight orange darts and a small target with numbers from 1 to 20. The gun’s item number is located on one side of the handle in raised lettering. The soft plastic darts measure just over one inch in length and have a small suction cup at one end with a diameter of about ½ inch. The target board is black, yellow, red and green, and measures five inches in diameter. “Gordy Toy” for “Ages 8+” is printed on the packaging.
The toy sets were sold exclusively at Family Dollar stores nationwide from September 2005 through January 2009 for about $1.50.
The products were manufactured in China.
Consumers should immediately take the toy target sets from children and discard them. Consumers can also return the guns and darts to a Family Dollar store for a full refund. For additional information, contact Family Dollar at (800) 547-0359 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.familydollar.com.
The lawyers at Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson suggest as more children’s products are made in China and other countries that do not have the same product safety standards as the United States, parents should carefully examine products made oversees for potential hazards. We commend Family Dollar for fully cooperating with the CPSC in the recall.
CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell the CPSC about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
