Balloons sold across Canada recalled as they can cause ‘hallucinations’

Health Canada has issued a recall for balloon-blowing kits sold on Amazon Canada, stating that they pose a chemical hazard.

The department issued an advisory warning consumers of several balloon-blowing kits sold online, citing safety concerns. The products are now banned in Canada.

“The safety concern is that blowing the balloons exposes a child to inhaling the vapours of any solvents present,” reads the statement.

The kits are toys manufactured in China. They consist of a solvent mixture in a tube and a plastic straw for blowing. To create balloons, children can squeeze a ball of the mixture from the tube onto one end of the straw and blow from the other end to create a bubble.

However, Health Canada states that doing so would expose children to inhaling vapours from the solvents. Exposure to these chemicals can cause a variety of symptoms of “central nervous system depression or dysfunction, including euphoria, hallucinations, dizziness, and difficulties with coordination of voluntary movements.”

Long-term exposure could lead to muscular twitching, unconsciousness, and coma.

Health Canada

The following are the products included in the alert:

• 15 pieces Bubble Ball Toy, Burst-Free Plastic Balloon, Colorful Magic Bubble Glue, Perfect Boys and Girls Gift (ASIN B0CXSTMWMQ)
• 2024 New Safe Magic Bubble Glue Toy Blowing Colorful Bubble Ball Plastic Space Balloon Fashion Accessories (ASIN B0C6THCKSB)
• Safe Magic Bubble Glue Toy Blowing Colorful Bubble Ball Plastic Space Balloon (ASIN B0C54V2QQG)

Health Canada urges consumers to immediately stop using the products and dispose of them following municipal hazardous waste guidelines.

According to Amazon Canada, 127 units of the affected products were sold in Canada from November 2023 to November 2024. The products are no longer sold online, and no incidents or injuries have been reported so far.

You can report any health or safety incidents related to using the affected products.