Major retailers halt sales of hazardous water bead toys for children

Amazon, Walmart, and Target have agreed to stop selling water beads, marketed to children, by the end of the year, following pressure from lawmakers and health advocates. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has deemed water beads "deadly to babies and small children if ingested." Water beads can expand to 100 times their initial size and weight when exposed to liquid, posing extreme health risks if swallowed. An estimated 7,800 water bead injuries were reported in the United States between 2016 and 2022. Lawmakers, including Rep. Frank Pallone, have called for a ban on water beads, and Walmart and Target have also announced their decision to remove water beads from their stores.