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Gittelman has even seen a BB gun go through someone's skin and pierce the heart, he added. If someone were to launch nails from these toys, the projectiles could pierce bones and cause a dangerous bone infection called osteomyelitis. While the eye is the primary site of potential injury, if these objects were launched at the ears, it could also cause significant ear trauma, he said. 'A lot of the times, a kid will get hit by one of those and it won't hurt a lot but it might kind of sting, so they think it's kind of funny without knowing what the risk is,' Gittelman said. One of the real dangers is that the toy's potential for harm may not be immediately apparent, Gittelman said. The same principle applies to other types of projectile toys, such as BB guns, pellet guns and even Nerf guns. In fact, a 10-year-old boy in Xinjiang, China, likely sustained permanent damage after a projectile launched by a mini-crossbow hit him in the eye. The key concern with this toy is the potential for an eye injury, Gittelman said. Mike Gittelman, a professor of pediatrics at the Division of Emergency Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the co-director of the hospital's Comprehensive Children's Injury Center. Any type of projectile can cause a problem,' said Dr. 'Once found, the products will be pulled from the shelves, and the businesses will be punished.'īut why exactly are these toys so dangerous? 'Business owners shouldn't sell toys that are physically or mentally harmful to minors,' said the Administration for Industry and Commerce of Chengdu, in the provincial capital of Sichuan. A total of 3,973 officers seized 528 crossbows in the Zhejiang province, according to CNN.

#TINY TOOTHPICK CROSSBOW FOR SALE CRACKED#

The Chinese government has cracked down on these popular toys, with police now raiding toy shops to confiscate the devices, CNN reported. The products have yet to take off in the United States, but have become a huge fad in China, where kiosks near elementary schools sell the toys for as little as $1, CNN reported. Tests conducted by the Shanghai Daily newspaper showed the crossbows easily piercing cardboard and popping balloons.Īnd because these toys can be hidden, kids can take the crossbows into locations, such as schools, where traditional projectile-firing toys (other than a slingshot) could not be concealed for long. Videos online show that these projectiles not only have a large range, but can also pierce the flesh of an apple. As a result, unlike traditional crossbows, the new toys can fit in one hand and be fired single-handed they can launch projectiles as far as 30 to 40 feet (9.1 to 12.2 meters), according to. Searches for 'crossbow' or 'toothpick crossbow' now return empty.The products work like traditional crossbows, only smaller.

Taobao and JD.com, China's two most popular e-commerce sites, have responded in recent days by blocking sales. 'People getting blinded will become commonplace, must ban!' said one user on the messaging forum, while another asked: 'What was the inventor of this thing thinking?' In the Chinese territory of Macau, police issued a warning on Tuesday that using the crossbows might constitute a criminal offence.Īlthough there have not yet been widespread reports of serious injuries, parents across China have raised concerns with schools, with many circulating petitions on social media in support of a nationwide ban. The fad appears to have sprung out of the south-west city of Chengdu, but quickly spread to China's east coast and even across the border to Hong Kong. Several cities including Shenzhen and Qingdao have reportedly banned sales of the palm-sized contraptions, which sell for about $1 and are powerful enough to puncture soda cans, apples and cardboard, depending on the projectile. Powerful mini-crossbows that shoot toothpicks and needles are the new must-have toy for schoolkids across China - and a nightmare for concerned parents and school officials.

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