Family wins US$435,000 after child swallowed China-made bead coated in date-rape chemical

A family from the US state of Arizona won a US$435,000 judgment in a federal court after a child swallowed a decorative bead coated with a chemical that metabolised into a date-rape drug when ingested, marking the first verdict of its kind in the United States over the toy.

The jury's decision in favour of Mark and Beth Monje came in one of several lawsuits against Aqua Dots, a toy craft kit in which children can create designs by spraying beads with water.

The product was the subject of a recall in 2007 amid reports that nine children in the US and three in Australia became sick after swallowing the beads. The recall by the US Consumer Protection Safety Commission led to the collection of four million kits.

Aqua Dots were produced in China by Australia-based Moose Enterprises and imported into the US by Spin Master in 2007.

Tests showed the beads were coated with a chemical that, when ingested, metabolises into gamma-hydroxybutyrate, also known as the "date-rape" drug. The compound can induce breathing problems, nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness, coma and death.

Monje's toddler son swallowed some of the beads in July 2007, resulting in what the family's lawyer says is permanent brain damage, loss of fine motor skills and sense of smell. The jury awarded the family US$58,000 for medical bills and US$377,000 for pain and suffering, lawyer Melanie McBride said.