Immediate Prohibition of Yo-yo Type Balls and Similar Products
Consumer Product Safety Bureau
MacDonald Building, 4th Floor
Address Locator: 3504D
123 Slater Street
OTTAWA, Ontario
K1A 0K9
October 2, 2003
To: Importers, Distributors, Retailers
Immediate Prohibition of Yo-yo Type Balls and Similar Products
The purpose of this letter is to advise you that effective immediately yo-yo type balls and similar products are prohibited from advertising, sale or importation in Canada.
Yo-yo type balls and similar products are made of a soft, extremely pliable plastic. They consist of a short, but highly stretchable, plastic cord that has a liquid-filled ball-like object at one end and a finger loop at the other (see photos). The toy comes in many colours and designs, for example, spiked ball, eyeball, happy face, sport ball, insect and flashing. The toy is marketed as: "yo-ball", "yo-yo water ball", "yo-yo meteoric ball", "flashing yo-yo ball", etc.
On May 13, 2003, Health Canada issued a trade advisory to inform importers, distributors and retailers of the strangulation hazard to children posed by yo-yo type balls and similar products. At that time Health Canada requested that the product be removed from the Canadian market.
On May 13, 2003, Health Canada also warned the Canadian public of the strangulation hazard to children posed by yo-yo type balls and advised that these products be discarded. The warning was re-issued on August 1, 2003, in light of numerous reported incidents and continued widespread availability of the toy.
Due to the unacceptable risk of strangulation posed by the toy, continued reports of incidents and continued availability of the product on the market, Health Canada has immediately prohibited the advertising, sale or importation of the toy under the authority of section 6 of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA).
Details of the prohibition on yo-yo type balls and similar products will be published in the Canada Gazette Part II on October 9, 2003.
For further information, call your usual Product Safety contact, or call your nearest Health Canada Product Safety Office:
| Burnaby |
(604) 666-5003 |
| Edmonton |
(780) 495-2626 |
| Calgary |
(403) 292-4677 |
Winnipeg |
(204) 983-5490 |
| Saskatoon |
(306) 975-4502 |
| Toronto |
(416) 973-4705 |
| Hamilton |
(905) 572-2845 |
| Québec |
(418) 648-4327 |
| Montréal |
(514) 283-5488 |
Longueuil |
(450) 646-1353 |
| Halifax |
(902) 426-8300 |
| Moncton |
(506) 851-6638 |
| St. John's |
(709) 772-4050 |
Sylvia Weihrer
Project Officer
Photos of Product Examples
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