Magnetic Toy Balls Should be Banned, Experts Say

Buckyballs, Zen Magnets, and other high-powered magnetic desk toys have been popular holiday gifts in recent years. But at a public hearing today held by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, several doctors urged not only that consumers should cross these dangerous toys off holiday shopping lists but also that these magnetic balls should be banned from the U.S. market.

The desk toys typically contain more than 200 tiny round or cube-shaped neodymium magnets that are at least 15 times more powerful than standard magnets.