Warning: Popular Magnetic Chess Game Poses Serious Health Risks and Violates Safety Standards

Federal regulators have issued a warning about a popular magnetic chess game sold through major retailers like Walmart and Amazon.com, citing serious health risks associated with the product. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the warning after discovering that the magnetic chess game violates federal safety standards, posing a significant injury risk if the small magnetic parts are accidentally swallowed.

The CPSC’s warning, issued on August 29, highlights the ingestion hazard posed by the magnetic chess game and emphasizes that the manufacturer, JOMO, has failed to comply with safety requirements aimed at reducing the risk of severe and life-threatening injuries linked to swallowing high-powered magnets. Despite the CPSC’s efforts to address the issue, the manufacturer has not issued a recall for the product, prompting the commission to urge consumers to stop using the magnetic chess games and dispose of them immediately.

The risks associated with magnet toys, particularly those containing rare earth magnets, have been a concern since 2012 when reports of children and teens suffering devastating injuries after ingesting the magnets began to surface. When multiple magnets are swallowed, they can attract to each other through intestinal tissue, causing blockages, obstructions, and potentially fatal injuries that require emergency surgery.

Despite warnings and efforts to educate the public about the dangers of magnet ingestion, the CPSC reports that hospital emergency rooms have treated an average of 2,400 cases of magnet ingestion each year from 2017 to 2021. Tragically, at least eight deaths have been linked to ingesting hazardous magnets between 2005 and 2021, underscoring the seriousness of the issue.

Consumers are advised to heed the CPSC’s warning and immediately stop using the magnetic chess games sold by JOMO to protect themselves and their loved ones from the potentially life-threatening risks associated with the product.