Source: Radio New Zealand
Small magnets are easily accessible through online marketplaces, photo shows a pack of 100 3mm by 2mm magnets and a magnetic nose ring Ke-Xin Li
Eleven years after New Zealand banned the sale of small high-powered magnets intended for personal or domestic use, doctors and advocacy groups say they are still easily accessible
They are calling for even stricter controls to protect children.
First Up was able to buy a packet of six magnets for $8.70 from a local store that does not comply with the ban.
The magnets were advertised as ideal for use with hobby figures, and each was about three millimetres wide.
The six 3mm magnets were bought from a local retailer. Ke-Xin Li
They are slightly smaller than the 100 five millimetres wide magnets swallowed by a 13-year-old boy earlier this year, which put him in hospital.
The magnets had to be surgically removed, along with part of his bowel.
Dr Binura Lekamalage performed the operation. He was not sure if the current unsafe product notice placed on the magnets was clear enough to protect children.
“It seems to say that it doesn’t apply to hardware use, but applies to personal use. Looking at the magnets that are available on these marketplaces, it’s hard to know what the intentions are for the magnets that are sold.”
Dr Binura Lekamalage operated on a 13-year-old boy and removed nearly 100 magnets from the boy’s stomach. Supplied
The current ban is enforced on magnets that are smaller than 32mm, has a magnetic flux index over 50 kilogauss squared millimetre squared, and is for personal or domestic use.
Lekamalage said weaker magnets were equally dangerous to children.
“Regardless of the strength of the magnets, if there’s multiple magnets, then you’ll always have that risk that two segments of bowel can adhere together. It’s almost impossible for it to un-adhere again.”
In October, Lekamalage’s team published its concerns and warned how easily accessible the magnets were from online marketplaces like Temu.
The online marketplace immediately said all of its products complied with New Zealand legislations.
First Up tried to verify this by buying bought some magnets from Temu – $3.55 for a 100-pack of mini neodymium magnets and $2.91 for a magnetic nose ring.
Auckland University of Technology researchers Dr Yifan Lv and Dr Malaya Behera tested them.
They said normally neodymium magnets – coated with nickel – were considered as high-powered magnets.
Researchers at Auckland University of Technology, Dr Yifan Lv and Dr Malaya Prasad Behera tested the strength of the magnets. Ke-Xin Li
Behera was surprised when the Temu magnets tested well below the threshold that defines high-power.
With a magnetic flux index at 28.3 (kG)²·mm², the Temu magnets complied with New Zealand legislation.
Dr Malaya Prasad Behera testing the strength of the magnetic nose ring. Ke-Xin Li
The magnetic nose ring was marginally above the limit at around 50.3 (kG)²·mm².
But those magnets purchased from the local website based in Auckland did not pass the test.
The peak maximum gauss volume reads 3300, which is a flux index around 81.7 (kG)²·mm².
Commerce Commission principal compliance advisor Grant McIntosh said enforcing the unsafe product notice was a priority for them.
In recent years, the commission had engaged with 40 companies regarding selling small high-powered magnets.
Most of the engagement were educational, but that also included prosecutions. In 2023, NZME was fined more than $87,000 for selling magnetic balls through the GrabOne website.
“There is of course a legitimate market for magnets, they are explicitly excluded from the unsafe goods notices. So really it’s a matter of looking at the advertising of the product, looking at the way in which it’s sold and determining whether it is covered by the notice or not.”
First Up asked McIntosh if magnets that were not marketed as a toy, but bought as one, were banned.
“Like many products in households, there are inherent risks with certain products. Knives, for example, carry a risk, but they’re an essential product in the household. We can’t limit the sale of all products based on the risk associated with a limited consumer group. What I would say is that clearly if a consumer is determined to get a particular product, then that’s not something we can particularly control.”
Safekids Aotearoa director Mareta Hunt said the high threshold for banning magnets was worrying.
Safekids Aotearoa Director Mareta Hunt wants to see the rules around small high-powered magnets strengthened. Supplied
She would like to see the standard strengthened, and potentially an age limit for online purchases.
“I would also add that products outside of the ban should comply with mandatory standards, including requirements for testing, warning labels and instructions for use. There’s some really low-hanging fruit that could be done a little bit more on taking ownership and accountability of how they regulate the supply of small high-powered magnets for children.”
SafeKids is calling for better warning labels on the dangerous magnets. Photo shows the Temu bought 3mm magnets and the warning on its packaging. Ke-Xin Li
But it was not just work for the legislators. Hunt has also called for more awareness and education in households.
“We need everybody across our communities to be part of the solution. We need whānau to do their due diligence around how we monitor children what they are purchasing online. Just a quick look means we are able to monitor and prevent an injury where the middle ground or the retailers and regulators haven’t quite done their job just yet.”
In a statement, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment manager for consumer policy Grant Hildreth said it was not looking at any changes to the unsafe goods notice for small high-powered magnets.
“Regulatory actions like this ban are important in keeping New Zealanders safe, however they are a significant intervention.
“Other non-regulatory options, including public information and education campaigns, also play an important role. MBIE and Safekids Aotearoa have worked in collaboration since 2023, together raising public awareness of the dangers related to high-powered magnets and other children’s products through education campaigns targeted at parents, caregivers, and early childhood education services.”
Hildreth said parents, caregivers or other adults who were concerned about the dangers of the magnets could dispose of them.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
