Buckyballs have been recalled (updated link)
cpsc.gov
cpsc.gov
This is the kind of story that gets the public to unanimously cry, "We're a
bunch of coddled babies!" and if you cried that, please recall my useful
heuristic: if you ever find yourself in complete agreement with the public,
especially when "public" includes people you wanted to murder in the last
election, then your position is not only wrong, it's not even yours. You
have been trained to have this thought, so the money is in understanding why.
The latter considers cases between 2003-6, and concludes:
> Recent improvements in manufacturing processes have made small, powerful magnets inexpensive and readily available, increasing the potential for exposure of children to magnets in toys and other products. Ingestion of multiple magnets, or ingestion of one magnet and a metal component attracted to magnets, poses a unique health hazard (6,7). Although these magnets generally are small enough to pass through the digestive tract, they can attach to each other across intestinal walls, causing obstructions and perforations. Initial signs and symptoms of injury are nonspecific, leading to delayed diagnosis and greater injury. Even when caregivers know a child has swallowed magnets, they might assume that such small pieces will pass normally. On radiologic examination, a health-care provider cannot ascertain whether objects swallowed are magnetic and whether they are in separate sections of the gastrointestinal tract with tissue between them. To aid with diagnosis, a compass might be passed close to the abdomen to determine whether an unidentified object in the bowel is magnetic.§ Once magnetically attached across bowel walls, magnets are unlikely to disengage spontaneously.
> Building sets and other toys containing magnets pose a substantial hazard to children who commonly mouth objects. Manufacturers of any consumer product containing magnets should take precautions to keep the magnets in their intended positions within plastic pieces and should consider making larger plastic pieces to minimize the likelihood of ingestion. Similar injuries have resulted from ingestion of magnetic beads, jewelry, and homeopathic aids (8,9).
> Caregivers should keep products with magnets out of environments where children aged <6 years are playing and be aware of the unique risks if ingested. Magnets should never be used to emulate tongue or lip piercing. If caregivers suspect a child has ingested a magnet, they should seek health care promptly. Caregivers also should be aware that children might be reticent to admit ingestion or unable to describe what they have ingested. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can lead to serious or fatal outcomes.
Small, round, high-power magnets are still perfectly legal.
One problem is that they look a lot like silver dragees, little silver sugar balls sometimes used to decorate baked goods. See e.g. http://www.fancyflours.com/category/silver-dragees for what they look like.